Lost Souls
by TheHunterPersian
Summary: After being sent on a mission by Captain Quark, Ratchet and Clank are sucked into a black hole. Waking up in a new world, lost and by themselves, the two encounter a castle and come across a boy and girl, lost in the mists of time. Teaming up together, Ratchet makes sure that both him, Clank and the boy and girl return home from the castle. A Ratchet and Clank and ICO crossover.
1. Chapter 1

**(AN: So here we go, a crossover that I doubt no one has thought of. I mean, I know it sounds absurd, but I have thought about ideas for this story for a few months and have, well, decided to write it.**

 **If you've played Ratchet and Clank but haven't played ICO (which you should, it's an amazing game :P), don't worry, you won't be lost. Everything you need to know will be explained. Just so you know, for continuity's sake, this is when events in the story take place:**

 **In the Ratchet and Clank universe: Takes place after "Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal"**

 **In the ICO universe: Takes place after Ico and Yorda arrive at the East Arena**

 **One more thing, as for updates, this fic will be updated every two to three days. So, check back often!**

 **Anyways, I've been working on this fic since October, and have been waiting to publish it here. Since I'm almost done posting the last chapter on another website, I hope you enjoy "Lost Souls" here.)**

 _ **Ratchet and Clank and ICO are owned by Sony Computer Entertainment.**_

* * *

"Clank, remind us again why we're doing this?"

"Captain Quark told us to do this. Have you already forgotten?"

"No, it's just that it's way too fishy. Think about it, we're in the middle of nowhere in space. Looking for some material Quark's probably going to sell after we give it to him."

"Now Ratchet, I'm sure Captain Quark won't do anything like that."

"Maybe, but if he does, I'm putting my foot up his ass for making me go through hell."

Ratchet and Clank were currently aboard their ship. The two were sent on a mission by Captain Quark to find a material known as "Virotanium", a "very rare substance that I desperately need" as put by the captain himself. Supposedly the material only exists on one planet, and it's heavily guarded by robots still under the rule of Dr. Nefarious.

"Turn here Ratchet, according to our radar, we are nearly there."

Ratchet piloted the ship to the direction of the planet.

"Now we may need to slow down, there are asteroids here." The small robot had said.

"Relax buddy, I know what I'm doing."

Hitting the brakes, the lombax slowly piloted the ship across the asteroid field, getting across it moments later.

"See? I told you. Nothing to worry about."

However, Clank's face seemed to fall, as if he had seen something terrifying.

"Clank? Buddy what's wrong?"

"R-Ratchet…" Clank mumbled.

"What's going on? Clank!"

"Look." Clank pointed to the window of the ship, prompting Ratchet to look out of it. What had terrified Clank was now starting to terrify Ratchet.

Right across from them was a large black hole; the lombax could feel the ship moving towards the hole.

"Clank, we need to get out of here pronto! Do whatever you can to get us out of here!"

Ratchet pressed all buttons on the control panel. Speeding up seemed to not help, as the winds of the black hole intensified. Attempting to roll caused the ship to inch closer to the black hole. Clank had attempted to connect himself to the ship in hopes of finding something to speed up the ship. Much to the robot's dismay, he couldn't do anything. Ratchet had begun to lose hope, and started to accept his fate. That was, until his eye caught the Emergency Escape button on the control panel.

"That's it! Clank we're saved!"

Ratchet pressed the button, excited that they found their method of escape.

Nothing happened however.

"Wha?" The lombax kept pressing the button, but no matter how hard he pushed it, nothing happened.

"Ratchet… didn't that button get damaged a month ago?"

"…are… are you kidding me?"

"No, I was there when it happened."

Ratchet sharply exhaled, muttering a curse under his breath.

"Well buddy… it looks like the end…" Ratchet took Clank into his arms, hugging him tightly. "If I die, well… I just wanna die with you."

The ship went closer and closer to the black hole.

"Ratchet… maybe by some chance, we will survive?"

The ship now began to start getting sucked into the hole.

"Maybe, but if we do, I just hope you're there."

Ratchet and Clank could feel the ship shaking violently as it was getting sucked in.

"I feel the same way too Ratchet…"

With their last breaths, the lombax and the robot screamed as the ship was fully sucked into the black hole. The hole was now shutting tightly and soon disappearing moments later.


	2. Chapter 2

**(AN: Alright, next chapter! Man, having coherent updates is so nice.**

 **Anyway, when we last left off, Ratchet and Clank were getting sucked into a black hole. Where are they now? Will they escape OK? Let's find out to see...)**

 _ **Ratchet and Clank and ICO are owned by Sony Computer Entertainment.**_

* * *

Light. That's all Ratchet could see, just the blinding white light.

 _"_ _Am I… dead?"_ he thought.

Ratchet opened his eyes and saw that he was flat on the grassy ground. He got up and wiped the dirt off his fur and pants, looking around at his surroundings. He seemed to be in a forest, various trees blowing in the wind. Ratchet went into his thoughts and remembered all that had happened, the black hole and being sucked into it.

"QUARK! HE TRICKED ME!" yelled Ratchet. "I'm gunna get my revenge on him when I return home!"

It was then, when Ratchet remembered that he was forgetting someone, Clank. Ratchet's anger turned into fear.

"Clank!? Clank where are you!?"

Ratchet looked around; there was no sight of the robot anywhere.

"CLANK!" he yelled.

It was then that he could see a piece of metal sticking out from near him, black smoke rising from it. The lombax ran over to it and saw the sight. What was left of his ship was now just a pile of scrap, every single part of the ship damaged majorly. On the ground, lay Clank, eyes shut.

"Clank! Clank, please tell me you aren't gone!"

Ratchet picked Clank up and shook him, hoping to wake him up. After a few moments, Clank's green eyes began to blink.

"Ratchet? Is that yo-"

Clank was interrupted by Ratchet hugging him tightly.

"Clank! Thank goodness you're OK!"

"Yes yes, I'm glad to see you're OK too. Now, where are we?"

"I don't know, it looks like a normal forest. Do you think we're at the place Quark wanted us to go?"

"It doesn't look like it, but if we are, take any weapons."

Ratchet put Clank down on the floor and walked over to the destroyed ship. Finding the compartment (which was damaged slightly unlike the rest of the ship) where Ratchet stored his weapons, he opened it up and found nothing.

"W-What? Where's all my weapons?" Ratchet asked.

"They should be there…" Clank said.

"They aren't! Every single one is gone!"

"Even the RYNO?"

"Even the RYNO."

"This is definitely not good; you don't have something to defend yourself with."

It was then that Ratchet could see his Omniwrench on the floor, he picked it up.

"Hm, guess it's better than nothing."

"Agreed, now I feel that we should explore the area."

"Good thinking, Clank, let's do just that."

* * *

Trees and nothing else. This was all that the lombax and robot encountered as they walked, not finding a single source of life anywhere.

"This is dumb, are we seriously stuck in some dumb forest?" complained Ratchet.

"I don't think so anymore Ratchet, look! There's a path!" Clank pointed forward, pointing to a dirt path.

"Alright! Let's follow it!" Ratchet took Clank on his back and ran across the fallen leaves on the ground, reaching the path in just seconds.

"Hmm." Ratchet put his hand and his chin and scratched his fur. "Left or Right?"

"Left seems to be going forward." observed Clank. "Let's go there."

"Alright, left it is!"

Ratchet walked the dirt path, which minutes later, seemed never ending.

"Is this all there is? Just dirt and trees?"

"Ratchet, I'm certain that there will be something, just keep walking."

While Ratchet was in very good athletic condition, he found himself getting tired from all the walking.

"Screw this; I'm taking a small break. Not only that, I'm getting hungry."

"I don't know how to tell you this, Ratchet, but this environment doesn't seem like the area where food would grow."

"That's a bunch of lies, Clank! I'm gunna go search for food!"

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Ratchet came back with just 8 nuts found on a tree and 5 berries he found growing on a bush. Before Ratchet could eat them, Clank stopped him.

"Ratchet, you have no idea if those are poisonous. Let me check them."

"Alright, but hurry up, I'm starving."

Clank took the nuts and berries from Ratchet and opened his metallic body, placing the food into himself; he closed his body shut as his system did a scan for any toxins. Fortunately, none were found, meaning it was safe for Ratchet to eat them. As soon as Clank opened his body, Ratchet swiped the nuts and berries and scarfed them down.

"Ratchet, you shouldn't have wasted them all like that. What will you do later?"

"I'm starving, Clank, give me a break. Well, not the most appetizing thing I had, but hey, not like I was expecting a five star dish. Anyway, let's keep going."

* * *

At last, when it seemed that it was just nothing but dirt and trees, Ratchet could make out stone steps.

"Clank! Look! There's something over there!"

Ratchet ran to the steps and climbed them, now on top of some area surrounded by columns.

"OK… is that it?"

Ratchet could feel the wind blowing through his fur, hearing waves crashing on something.

"Wait… waves?"

Ratchet down below him and saw the cliff was a very long way down, water surrounding him. While the lombax didn't have a fear of heights, just looking down made him feel like he did. Clank's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Ratchet… look."

Ratchet looked up and saw one of the grandest sights he had ever seen. He was staring at a large castle, bigger than any building on Metropolis. Ratchet could see a closed gate, meaning that the entrance was sealed.

"Well, there goes that, C'mon Cla-"

Rumbling interrupted him.

"Whoa! Clank, hold onto me!"

Ratchet watched as somehow, the gate started opening by itself. What also was strange was that a bridge was starting to peek out from both the castle and where Ratchet and Clank were standing. The two connected, letting Ratchet pass.

"It's like it's inviting us in." said Ratchet.

"Be careful, Ratchet, we don't know what's going on." said Clank.

"Alright. C'mon" Ratchet gripped onto his Omniwrench tightly as he took his first step onto the bridge. He took normal baby steps that then turned into normal walking seconds later. Ratchet once again looked down at the sea.

"Man, it's like I could fall down just staring at it."

"Don't tempt yourself, Ratchet, let us keep moving."

Ratchet and Clank were now half way across the bridge; many things going into the lombax's head, mainly: _"Where are we and what is this place?"_

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the lombax and robot crossed the entire bridge and entered some sort of front area. Various stone pillars with torches were in a straight line to the side, the crackling of the fire being the only thing Ratchet and Clank heard.

"Ratchet, there's a couch over there. Perhaps we should take a break."

Ratchet looked towards Clank's direction and saw a stone couch. Mystified by it, he walked up to it and the couch started glowing.

"Whoa! Clank… is this supposed to do that?"

"I'm… not sure. Ratchet… where are we?"

"Either the past judging from this castle, or the future. Either way, I'm not liking one bit of it."

"Perhaps I could do a data scan of the area. Meanwhile, why don't you rest?"

"Sure pal"

Ratchet got on the couch and sprawled on it, stretching.

"Man, I've never felt this tired before! Even after walking on all the planets we went on."

"Well try to save your energy, when you wake up, we'll explore more of this place."

Ratchet's eyes began to grow heavy as he soon napped, Clank beginning to do his scan.


	3. Chapter 3

**(AN: This chapter's kinda fillery, but hey, it is just exploring through the castle. It's important that Ratchet and Clank get used to their surroundings after all.**

 **However, next chapter is when things start to pick up. As for now though? Well, you gotta read :P)**

 _ **Like always, Ratchet and Clank and ICO are owned by Sony Computer Entertainment.**_

* * *

Ratchet's eyes fluttered as he woke up from his small nap, sprawled on the couch. He rubbed his eyes and stretched as he got up from the couch.

"Oh hello, Ratchet." said Clank, walking up to Ratchet.

"Hey Clank, did that area scan while I was sleeping?"

Clank's face fell. "Ratchet… I tried but… I couldn't find anything… Not even what this planet it…"

Ratchet rubbed his chin. "So, looks like we're stuck here?"

"It seems so."

"Well… if we're stuck, might as well explore this place, c'mon, Clank. Let's go."

Ratchet took ahold of his Omniwrench, and walked to an entrance on the stone path.

* * *

The lombax and robot found themselves in a large area, various stone walls around the area with a bridge.

"How do you suppose we get up there?" asked Ratchet.

"Hmm, well there is an opening right there, let's check it.

As Ratchet and Clank entered the large opening under the bridge, they found no way to go up, though all there were was graves.

"Great, how are we eve-"

Ratchet stopped when he saw stone stairs that he hadn't seen before.

"Oh, never mind then."

Walking up the steps, they went down a stone path and up another flight of stone stairs where another large entrance stood.

"OK, I think we should go here."

"Ratchet, look! There are bombs here!"

Ratchet looked where Clank was; the robot was attempting to lift up a bomb.

"Alright! Now this is what I call a weapon!"

However, the lombax found himself having trouble lifting up the bomb, despite all the strength he had accumulated in his last three adventures.

"A-Argh! What is this stuff made out of?!"

Ratchet dropped the bomb, letting himself catch his breath.

"OK… looks like I'm not taking this."

"Speaking of hidden stuff, how about we check over there to see if there's anything?"

Ratchet walked forward to the other side of the wall, where near it, an opening lay.

"Woah… hey, Clank, where do we head?"

"This may be hard to conclude… To tell you the truth Ratchet, I feel we should go that way."

"Alright, c'mon."

* * *

As Ratchet went forward, he found another couch, and another courtyard with graves.

"Well isn't this exciting. C'mo-"

Ratchet was cut off suddenly as he saw something on the ground, something that terrified not only Clank, but himself. A large dark circle was forming on the ground; Ratchet could hear some sort of noise as just then, a dark figure popped out of the circle, along with another. Ratchet could see the figure come at them.

"Clank, watch out!"

Ratchet swung his Omniwrench at the figure and it seemed to be hurt, as the figure reacted to the wrench's swing. After two swings, the figure fell onto the ground, and the dark matter that formed it dissipated into the air.

Thinking it was the only one, Ratchet was caught off guard when another dark figure grabbed him. Though due to his strength, the lombax was able to get free and start attacking the figure. Running a hand through the fur on his forehead, he looked to the side and saw Clank being picked up by a dark figured shaped like a spider.

"CLANK!" Ratchet screamed as he ran towards the now fast pacing spider figure. Attacking it from its underside to not hurt Clank, the figure disappeared and the robot fell onto the ground.

"Get on my back Clank, hurry!"

Clank scurried onto Ratchet's back as a figure with wings flew towards them. Ratchet threw his Omniwrench at the flying figure, hitting it precisely as it fell onto the ground and disappeared.

"Ratchet, those pools are disappearing!"

Ratchet watched as the dark pools that the figures came from disappeared. He took various deep breaths, collecting his thoughts.

"Clank… *huff huff* what were those?"

"I… I have no idea. Were they living?"

"I don't know, but I'm not liking the way this castle is right now."

"Me neither, I feel something's not right with this place either."

Ratchet noticed a large, open gate in front of him.

"Well, guess there's no way but to go forward."

The duo went down the stairs to the lower level and went into the gate, passing into a somewhat large room with a lowering, along with a crate to climb on to go to the other side.

"Not like I needed that crate to climb by when I have you Clank, but still, it's thoughtful."

Ratchet and Clank went down onto the lowering (noticing a chain on the way, but didn't bother climbing it) and climbed onto the crate, reaching the other side. Before the lombax and robot went into the next area, Clank stopped and noticed two idols on each side of the wall.

"Ratchet, what are these?"

Ratchet stopped and looked at the idols. Scratching his chin, he put his hand on the idol, which was very cold to the touch.

"I dunno, are these doors?"

"If they are, they seem like kinds of doors never seen by anyone before, not only that, it seems like someone has already opened these."

"Clank… are you saying that you think someone else is in this castle?"

"I don't know, but it could be a possibility."

"Who'd wanna stay at a place like this?"

"Even that I do not know."

"Anyway, let's move on."

* * *

The blinding light of the outside were the first thing Ratchet noted, the second thing being a large windmill.

"Woah… how are we gunna advance from here?" said Ratchet.

"First, let's explore our area." responded Clank.

The duo looked around their area, though they still couldn't keep their eyes off the windmill. Ratchet seemed to have his interests more in the windmill, as he was caught off guard when he reached the edge of the cliff.

"WOAH!"

Ratchet was able to get his balance back and saved himself from a life-killing fall.

"Ratchet! You should have payed attention to where you were stepping! What if you had gotten killed!"

"Sorry Clank, I just can't keep my eyes off that windmill. Think we have to climb that?"

"Not particularly. Take a look in front of you."

Ratchet saw a bridge in front of him, although the entire bridge was connected.

"Alright, Clank get on my back. We're gliding there." The robot got onto the lombax's back. Crouching down, Clank activated his thruster pack and glided over to the other side of the bridge. Landing his feet onto the ground, Ratchet scaled up rocks and found yet another opening with more idols.

"What do these mean?" asked Ratchet.

"Along with many other things, I don't know."

* * *

Ratchet entered the next area, stone walls surrounding him with a chain in the middle.

"I've never climbed these before; let's see if I can do it."

Grasping the chains with his hands, Ratchet climbed the chain and reached the top, yet more idols stood there as another opening stood.

"Well, let's go." Ratchet said as they entered the next area. More stone walls surrounded him, though this time a strange device stood in the corner.

"What's that?" said the lombax, going up to it.

"Ratchet, don't touch it if you have no idea what it is."

It was too late, as Ratchet wrapped his hand around what seemed to be a lever. Pulling it down, the strange device raised up and stopped at a much higher area.

"Was… was that an elevator?" said Ratchet.

"I believe so… I still don't understand; is this the past of future?" said Clank.

"I still have no clue." said Ratchet, looking around his surroundings. Finding another crate, Ratchet climbed onto it and reached a higher location. He noticed the large gap in the middle that went down to the bottom of the sea, meaning instant death for both the lombax and robot.

"Idea. How about I get a running start, then leap, and then you activate the thruster pack?" said Ratchet.

"We may not know how this goes, but… we have a chance."

Ratchet walked over to the edge of the wall and ran as fast as he could. Reaching the end of a bridge of sorts, Ratchet leaped just as Clank activated the thruster pack. He reached the other side, but only barely, as he has hanging off the other side by just his fingertips. Looking down at the bottom, Ratchet cringed, never seeing something so terrifying before. Despite him seeing various bottomless pits back on the Solana and Bogon Galaxies, something about the castle's bottomless pits gave him a sense of dread.

Picking himself up, Ratchet got one of his legs onto the floor and got back on the ground.

"Well, never doing that again. Let's keep going now."

* * *

Another set of paths and yet another set of idols near an opening.

"Y'know, I'm getting a bit tired of seeing these things. I still have no idea what they do!"

"Let's not complain Ratchet. At least they're letting us pass."

"Well yeah, but still…"

Going into the opening, yet more light entered Ratchet's eyes as he saw a much larger stone path to a large building.

"Guess we have no choice."

Ratchet and Clank went down the large path, taking around a minute and half to reach the opening of the building to the distance, more idols on the sides.

* * *

Entering inside, Ratchet could hear the door shutting behind him.

"Well, looks like there's no going back."

The lombax climbed up a ladder near him and got up to the top, Clank climbing off of him. Ratchet looked around, seeing another couch with what seemed to be two figures sleeping on it.

 _"Wait a minute..."_ Ratchet thought.

"What the hell?"

Ratchet and Clank walked up to the figures on the couch and began to watch a tan boy with what seemed to be horns on his head, and a pale white girl sleeping peacefully.


	4. Chapter 4

**(AN: At last, they finally meet, after 3 chapters of getting things ready.** **This chapter is also a bit fillery, so there might not be large amounts of story progression, but after this chapter, things should be progressing f** **ast.**

 **Also, someone explain to me, why is there no character options for Ico and Yorda? Get on it :P)**

 _ **As said in the last 3 chapters, both Ratchet and Clank and ICO are owned by Sony Computer Entertainment.**_

* * *

Ratchet and Clank watched the two… beings asleep on the couch.

"Clank? W-What are these? They look a bit like Markazians… but, not entirely…"

Clank's eyes began to brighten as he began to scan the boy and the girl on the chair.

"Hmm… yes… oh… oh my…"

"What is it Clank?"

"From what my scanners indicate, these two are a species known as "humans"."

"Humans? I've never heard of them... Does that mean... y'know, if we're seeing two species we've never seen before...?"

"Yes... Ratchet, I do not believe we are in the past or the future. I believe we ended up in another universe."

"Another universe? Oh great, how are gunna get back to Solana now?"

"I don't know Ratchet, but I'm sure we can get back somehow."

Unbeknownst to the lombax and the robot, the boy with horns began to wake up slowly, hearing the two's conversation.

"What about that kid with horns? Something's not right about him Clank…"

"I agree, according to the images I got for humans, none of them contained those horns. As for the girl, human females aren't that pale."

"So what's the deal with those two?"

Finally, the boy with horns woke up, and saw Ratchet and Clank. Ratchet's ears perked up as he turned his head to the side and saw the horned boy standing up. He yelled something in a strange language and grasped a stick he held in his hand tightly.

"Woah woah woah! Hold on there kid! We're not gunna hurt you!" Ratchet and Clank held their hands in the air, not wanting the boy to hurt them. However, the boy didn't seem convinced. The girl woke up from the commotion that occurred, gasping at the sight of Ratchet and Clank and walked to the boy's side, holding his hand.

All of a sudden, the same pool of darkness Ratchet and Clank encountered in the graveyard appeared near the couch. The horned boy and the pale girl gasped as the boy went after the pool, attacking the shadow beings as soon as they came out.

"Hold on kid, let me help! You're just gunna get yourself hurt!" Though Ratchet's statement wasn't true, as the boy knew what he was doing, but the lombax needed to trust his instincts. Holding his Omniwrench, he helped the boy clear out the shadow beings, all of them falling to Ratchet's wrench and the boy's stick. The pool disappeared as Ratchet began to pant. However, his relaxation was cut short by the boy yelling something.

"Uhhh, Clank? Wha… what is he saying? Is it some sort of alien language? It doesn't sound anything like the one's back in Solana."

"I believe this is the language he speaks, a different language then ours."

"So basically, I can't understand him?"

"Yes, but there is a solution."

Clank opened his metallic body and pulled out some sort of ear piece.

"I developed this translator in the event we would ever need it. Put it on and you should be able to understand him. Along with that, anytime you speak to him with this on, what you say will be heard in his language, so he can respond to you."

"Couldn't you be able to do that? I mean, you are a robot."

"I haven't uploaded the technology for understanding him into my A.I., but I can do it right now. In the meantime, put the translator in your ear."

Ratchet placed the translator into his right ear lobe, fitting perfectly.

"OK got it. Now what?" asked Ratchet.

"Try talking to him." replied Clank

"Ok…" Ratchet faced the horned boy. "Uhh… hi… My name is Ratchet. Who are you?"

To his surprise, the strange boy with horns responded. "Ratchet? I never heard of this name before…" The horned boy said.

"Clank! It works!"

"As for who I am, I am Ico."

"E-co?"

"No, Ico."

"Ico… that's your name…"

The horned boy-now introducing himself as Ico, stared at the lombax.

"What are you? You look like a cat. But cat's do not walk or talk."

"No no, I'm a lombax."

"Lombax? I have not heard of this either. I still do not understand why you walk or talk, I remember in my village, they told us stories of animals who could do stuff such as you. But I had no idea it was true."

"Wait, village?" Clank asked.

"Yes, Toksa Village. That is where I am from."

"Then why are you in some big castle?" Ratchet asked.

Ico looked at the ground somberly. "You… you seemed to have noticed my horns… Please, sit down and I shall tell you everything."

Ratchet and Clank sat down on the cold stone floor, beginning to listen to Ico's story.

"I… I come from a village where every generation, a child bearing horns is born."

"Horns? Why?"

"I do not know, my village's elder did not tell me. All he told me was about a man known as "the Wanderer", and how he is the reason kids like me have horns. If a kid has horns, then they are sent to this castle to be sacrificed at the age of thirteen."

Ratchet jumped at what the horned boy said.

"Woah woah! Sacrificed? You mean… they die?"

"No. The village elder told me that they become a part of the castle itself, and they live forever."

Ratchet reached in close to Clank. "I'm really not liking this place… I mean, sacrificing kids?"

"It seems that we have entered a world where sacrifices are still being held. So, you could say we are in the past."

The two listened to Ico's story again.

"I… I was one of those sacrifices, as seen by my horns. They took me here a week after my horns formed, around my thirteenth birthday, and put me into a sarcophagus. They had told me _"Do not be angry. This is for the good of the village."_ ("Horrifying." Clank muttered under his breath). I was left there, most likely to starve to death, but fate had something else in mind for me. I was able to get out of my sarcophagus, and save myself from death."

Ico turned to the girl next to him. "While exploring this castle, I found this girl. I do not know much about her, however all I do know is that she is the daughter to the Queen of this castle, and her name is Yorda."

"Wait, a Queen?" asked Ratchet.

"Yes, she is evil. She is apparently Yorda's mother, and she plans to take her away from me, and she is using those dark creatures to do so."

 _"So I guess I know now who's causing them to appear."_ thought Ratchet.

"But, I plan to free the both of us from this castle, no matter what is thrown at us."

Ratchet saw the girl, Yorda, look at the ground, not saying a word.

"How did you end up here? You don't seem like you are from here."

"I'm from a galaxy known as "Solana". As for how I ended up here, me and my partner here, Clank, encountered a black hole while traveling in our ship. Next thing you know, we end up here." Ratchet explained

Ico and Yorda looked at the lombax and robot, confused at what Ratchet said. However, the two gave the horned boy and pale girl the benefit of the doubt, as they seemed to live in the past, and wouldn't understand modern technology.

"What is your partner? His name seems to be "Clank", but what is he? I've never seen anything like him before."

"I am what is called a robot. I am made up of various parts and machinery. One of them gives me the ability to speak." Clank said. Ico looked at him in awe and amazement, never seeing such a thing before.

"It seems… amazing. I had no idea people such as yourselves existed."

"Well, it seems we've learned more about our worlds then anything."

The four sat in silence for a while.

"Hey Ico, seeing as how we all wanna get out of here, how's about me and Clank help you and Yorda?" Ratchet asked.

"You mean, like a team?" responded Ico.

"You could say. We help you two out, and in return, you help us."

"Do you think it could work?"

"I'm sure!" Ratchet stood up and held out his hand to Ico, who took it. Getting him off the floor, Yorda and Clank stood up. All four of them looked at their surroundings.

"So, where to first?"

Ico said something in his native tongue as he pointed towards an opening on the right side of the room. The horned boy took the pale girl's hand as they ran towards it, the lombax and robot following right behind them.


	5. Chapter 5

**(AN: CAN WE GET THAT LAST GUARDIAN HYPEEEEEEEEEEE! YES, I have been waiting for so long, and when Sony showed off The Last Guardian at E3, I almost cried. Seriously, and that 2016 release date? Only makes things so much better. I need a PS4 badly now.**

 **Anyway, off the subject of The Last Guardian, things are gunna start advancing from these chapters. So you best put seatbeats on your brains, kids. Cause I'm 'bout to... plow them into the nearest tree.)**

 _ **Blah blah Ratchet and Clank and Ico blah blah Sony Computer Entertainment blah blah you get the deal.**_

* * *

When Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda entered the room, they walked straight and noticed a glowing button on the lower level of the room.

"What do you think we do with this?" asked Ico.

"It's a button isn't it? Then we should push it like a button should be pushed." replied Clank.

Ico noticed a ladder to the lower floor and climbed down it, Yorda following behind the horned boy as he called out something in his native tongue. Ratchet jumped onto the button as he waited for Ico and Yorda to get on the button. Ico climbed onto the button with no problem, but the pale girl was having a bit of trouble, so him and the lombax had to help Yorda get onto the button.

Immediately, the button was pushed down as the floor across from where the four were standing became stairs.

"Wow, who knew that? Alright, let's go guys!" exclaimed Ratchet.

As he took his first step however, he heard a familiar sound. Ratchet's fur began to rise up as he looked behind him and saw the same shadow creatures that attacked the four just moments ago. He saw Ico grasping onto his stick and getting into a fighting position.

"Don't fight them! Just run!" yelled Ratchet as he put Clank onto his back and ran up the stairs.

Ico took Yorda's hand and climbed step by step, being slowed down by Yorda as she quite fragile, and not suite for running. The shadow creatures got closer and closer to Ico and Yorda, and Ratchet knew he couldn't leave the two by themselves. Immediately, Ratchet jumped in between the shadow creatures and Ico and Yorda, holding onto his Omniwrench.

"Ico! Take Yorda and run! Let me take care of these guys!"

Ratchet swinged the Omniwrench at the shadow creatures as they flung back by the collision. Ico and Yorda finally made it to the top of the stairs as the horned boy noted a lever to the side. He walked over to it and pulled it. Two spheres on each side of the wall began to open up and revealed two unlit torches. Ico took his stick and put it into the fire of the lit torch next to the lever.

When it lit it up, he light the first torch and walked to the second one. He then turned his head and saw Ratchet getting hit by one of the larger shadow beasts. Yorda gasped from where she was as the lombax got up.

"Heh, that's all you got?" He said, wiping the small amount of blood coming from his mouth. He rushed towards the larger shadow creature and hit it with his Omniwrench. Ico turned his attention back to the unlit torch and lit it up, just as the flame on his stick went out.

As Ratchet finally defeated the shadow creature and as the shadow pool disappeared, a rumbling shook the entire room. The four turned their attention to the gate in front of them as it opened. A beam of shone down onto the room as the gate was completely opened.

"Well, how did you do that, Ico?" asked Clank.

Ico pointed towards the two torches on each side of the wall.

"I lit those up." responded Ico.

Ratchet began to walk up the steps as he climbed into the inner part of the gate.

"C'mon, let's go." said Ratchet, gesturing his head to Ico and Yorda to signify that he wanted them to climb up and follow him. Ico jumped up and climbed onto the cold stone of the inner part of the gate. He turned around and reached his hand out to Yorda. The pale girl jumped as hard as she could and took Ico's hand. The horned boy pulled Yorda up as Ratchet and Clank waited for them.

The four finally jumped out of the inner gate and entered outside.

* * *

Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda took a look at the large reflector in front of them, Ico in slight awe.

"I've never seen anything like that…" he said.

"Trust me kid, you should see the stuff they have in Solana and Bogon. You'd probably pass out." said Ratchet.

"That should be enough. I think what we should be discussing is where do we go now?" said Clank, climbing off of Ratchet's back. He scanned around the area and found a stone couch, the same one the robot and lombax found the horned boy and pale girl sleeping on.

"There is a couch over there. We could rest if we wanted to."

"I ain't tired. I could keep going on." replied Ratchet. "What about you two?"

Ico shook his head while Yorda looked at the ground.

"I'm gunna take that as a no."

Ratchet walked up to the reflector, knocking on the metal.

"Well, looks like we can't do much here. What do you suppose we do now?"

Suddenly, he turned his head and saw Yorda on the other side, looking up at a ladder. She turned her head towards Ico and pointed to it.

"Ico." was all she said.

"I didn't notice that ladder." Ico stated. He ran to it and began to climb it, gesturing Yorda to climb up as well. Ratchet and Clank walked up to the ladder and climbed behind Yorda.

The four entered back into the same room that they were just in, only this time, they were on the upper sides of the room. Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda advanced forward, passed through a gate, and saw another lever. Ratchet noticed another circular gate in front of the four.

"Here, let me pull this. You light up the torches Ico." He said. The lombax pulled the lever as two unlit torches became revealed. Ico took his stick and put it under the fire of the burning torch next to him. When it finally lit, he jumped onto the floor, but grunted as he did.

"Whoa! You OK kid?" asked Ratchet.

"I'm… I'm fine…" breathed Ico. He quickly got up and picked up his stick, which fell out of his hand upon impact with the floor, and lit the two torches. The circular gate began to open as they all heard the sound of something metal-like hitting the ground on the other side.

"What was that?" asked Clank.

"Only one way to find out." replied Ratchet. He jumped down to the floor but before impact, Clank active the thruster pack, letting Ratchet land safely.

"Alright, Yorda c'mon." said Ratchet. However, the pale girl simply stood there, as if she were ignoring the lombax.

"Did you hear me? I said come on down."

"She won't do it. It's too dangerous for her." explained Ico. "We need to back up to get her."

"You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid so."

Ratchet softly groaned. "Oh fine."

The three climbed down the ladder near them and went up the stairs. As they climbed into the inner gate, Clank softly hit Ratchet's arm.

"Clank? What was that for?" complained Ratchet.

"That was a bit rude Ratchet. After all, you must remember that these two are not like you. They can't do the same stuff like you, nor are they that athletically built as you. Patience is key when it comes to this castle and these two humans." explained Clank.

"You're seriously not going to get on my case for this are you?"

The robot angrily glared at Ratchet.

"Alright alright, I should have patience."

"Good. Let this be a lesson learned."

* * *

After getting Yorda, the four climbed onto the inside of the stone gate Ico opened and jumped out the other side. They noticed that they were in the room that Ratchet and Clank met Ico and Yorda. However, Ratchet noticed a sword on the ground.

"Whoa… is that a sword?" he said.

The horned boy walked up to it and picked it up.

"I think I should use this. It should be stronger to kill the shadow creatures." he said. Ico placed the stick he was using down on the floor and held the sword's handle firmly in his hand.

Suddenly, a large metal gate popped up in front of the four, trapping them inside. Yorda gasped while Ratchet began to growl.

"Who did that?!" he yelled.

Ratchet walked over to the bars and began to shake them, hoping that his strength could get him, Clank, Ico, and Yorda out. It wasn't until Ico yelled out that he looked behind him. He saw Ico pointing to a rope on the right side of the wall. He ran up to it and climbed the wood structure, and with a swing of his sword, he cut the rope.

"Nice! That has to be the way to get out! Do you think there's another?" Ratchet yelled to Ico. He responded by pointing to the rope on the other side.

"Well wouldn't you know?"

Ico ran to the other side and climbed yet another wood structure, cutting the rope with his sword. The bars immediately fell down, allowing the four to freely exit.

"Nice thinking kid!" Ratchet complimented, giving Ico a thumbs up. The horned boy softly scratched the back of his head; he wasn't used people giving him compliments, especially while in the Toksa Village. So having someone such as Ratchet compliment him felt great to him.

However, Ico suddenly felt a pain in his arm.

"Ico, are you alright?" Clank asked.

"I think swinging the sword hurt me…"

"Oh my… well, there is a couch right there. I say we take a rest."

Ico ran to the couch, Yorda and Ratchet following behind him. The three sat down on the couch (Clank on Ratchet's lap) and rested for as long as they needed, at least, until Ico's arm healed.


	6. Chapter 6

**(AN: A bit late I know, but hey, at least it's here!**

 **Anyway, we got a bit of a longie this time, since we're gunna finish up the East Arena! Yeahhhh!**

 **Let's continue our story...)**

 _ **Yada yada yada, copyright's. You get the drill.**_

* * *

When Ratchet woke up, yawning and opening his eyes, he noted how it was still sunny outside. Despite that, it felt like the lombax has been sleeping for hours.

"What's even goin' on with this universe?" Ratchet sleepily muttered to himself. He saw that Ico and Yorda were soon waking up, while Clank opened his glowing lime green eyes.

"Well rise and shine everyone. Hope you had a nice rest cause we're moving on." said Ratchet as he got off the couch. "By the way, Ico, is your arm feeling any better?"

Ico touched his arm gently. "Yes. It does feel slightly better. Do not worry about me, I will be fine."

"That is good that you recovered, Ico." Clank observed. "But I must advise you to take heed the next time you swing your sword. It wouldn't be good if you hurt yourself again.

"I understand." Ico said, nodding. The four looked around the East Palace.

"So… where do we go to now?" asked the robot. The horned boy pointed to a rope on the other side of the room.

"I will cut down the rope right there." He said. Ico ran over to it, running up the steps and climbing on a stone slab. He swung his sword at a rope holding a door and the rope broke apart, the door falling underneath the ground, allowing access for the four. Ico ran down the steps and towards Yorda, Ratchet, and Clank.

"You didn't hurt yourself when your swung your sword just now, did you, Ico?" asked Clank.

"No, I did not." He replied.

"That's good. Now let's head to that door you just opened." Ratchet said. He ran to the newly opened door as Clank followed behind the lombax. Ico took Yorda's hand and followed the two.

* * *

Even before entering the room, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda could hear the sounds of running water. They could see water rushing down the stone slide in front of them, meaning they wouldn't be able to cross normally.

"How are we going to get across this?" Clank asked. Ratchet noticed various stone ledges on the wall, and remembering the various places he climbed in the Solana and Bogon galaxies, knew that something were able to sidle across it.

"That of course." Ratchet said, pointing out the stone ledges.

"You're right. But… how is Yorda going to get across? And me as well?" asked Clank.

"Ooh…" Ratchet said, closing his eyes as he snapped. "Right. Didn't think about that."

"I will go across them." Ico said. He walked up to the ledge closest to him, jumped, and climbed up on it. He began to slide against the wall.

"Take care of her OK?" The horned boy called out. Ratchet and Clank nodded before looking at the pale girl, who simply looked at the ground. Ratchet found himself getting bored at the lack of conversation, and attempted to start some small talk with the princess.

"So, uh… how's the weather like over here?"

* * *

As Ico dropped down to the ledge underneath him, he kept his prayers to the gods that Yorda wouldn't be caught by the shadow creatures. Though admittedly, he knew Ratchet would be strong enough to take on the biggest shadow creatures that the queen could conjure up.

 _"Ratchet could take on anyone…"_ The tan boy thought as the mark over his shirt blew in the wind. He looked at the lombax, the creature that he's never heard of before, who seems to be attempting to talk to Yorda. Unlike himself, who had a hard time talking to people in his village due to the way they treated him, Ratchet seemed to be someone anyone could talk to, much like the more bigger boys in Toksa Village.

 _"I wish I could be as strong as Ratchet…"_

However, a voice in Ico's mind told him that he was as strong as Ratchet in a way. It made the horned boy realize that he's gotten this far, gotten through multiple near death experiences, and has been hurt in many ways since the day he was born, and yet, he still survived.

But what was it that made Ico strong?

Was it the will to move on forward and escape the castle?

Or was it the special mark he wore, made by the Village Elder's wife that supposedly, according to the Elder, was a "special mark not worn by any sacrifice sent to the Castle in the Mist"?

 _"Yes… perhaps I am actually as strong as Ratchet…"_

However, Ico found himself too deep into his thoughts, and almost slipped off the edge. Yelping, he got his balance up and jumped, holding onto the ledge with the tips of his fingers. He slid to the right of the stone ledge until he landed on the ground.

Ico ran towards the other side of the narrow hallway in front of him and standed on a switch, opening the door in front of him. He ran inside before the door dropped.

* * *

Entering into the new room, Ico could see that the main part of the room extended more up to the top. Once he knew this, Ico ran to his left and leaped to the other side, before ascending up the stairs. He saw two pieces of rope holding onto a bridge. Seeing as how it was the smart idea, Ico jumped and swinged his sword, cutting both pieces of rope. Instantly, the bridge fell.

"It seems that's there one part of it." Ico noted. He saw the other part of the bridge also being held onto by two pieces of rope. Running to the other side, he leaped and holding the sword out in front of him, sliced both ropes. The bridge collapsed as it finally connected.

"There we go." said Ico. He saw in front of him, another switch on the ground. Running to it, Ico stood on the switch which opened a door in front of him. He ran through the other side.

* * *

When Ico entered the room, he heard running water flowing. Most likely, this was the room where Ratchet, Clank, and Yorda were left behind. Ico saw a lever near him and pulled it, which caused the flowing water below him to stop.

Ratchet noted this and looked up, noticing the horned boy by the lever.

"Ico? Did you stop the water?" he yelled out.

"I did! Now hold on! I'm coming in a moment!"

Ico headed out to the door he went through, but stopped when he heard the lombax call out for him.

"Don't go through there! Come down here instead! It's much easier!"

Ico walked over to the ledge and noticed how far the drop was. He was sure that he wouldn't be able to survive this.

"I can't! I'll die upon impact!"

"Then let me send Clank up there!"

Ratchet grabbed the robot and swinged him in place a few times. On the fifth swing, Ratchet let go as Clank went flying up to Ico. Ico caught Clank and placed him in his arms.

"Now Ico, put me on your back, and then jump out from the railing. I'll do the rest." Clank explained. Ico nodded as he tried to figure out how to put Clank on his back, doing so by putting straps over his shoulders. He climbed onto the railing and jumped. Yorda gasped as Ico started to fall, but Clank activated his Thruster Pack and glided Ico to the ground. Ratchet could see the look of shock on Ico's face as he finally descended onto the ground.

"How did you do that?" Ico asked Clank.

"Let's just say it involves various components of my build, which allows me to use fuel for gliding. It has helped me and Ratchet in the past." Clank explained. The horned boy looked confused, clearly not understanding everything that came out of the robot's mouth.

"It's really complicated stuff. We could be here forever trying to explain it." Ratchet said suddenly.

"Oh." was the only thing that Ico said.

"Hey, speaking of which, I heard a loud noise from the other room. You didn't blow anything up did you kid?"

"That? I lowered a bridge."

"A bridge? That must lead to somewhere! C'mon, let's not waste time and have those shadow things attack us!"

Ratchet picked up Clank and placed the metallic cyborg on his back, running up the stone slope. Ico took Yorda's hand and led her up the slope after the lombax and robot.

* * *

After following Ico to the room beyond the switch on the ground, the four walked across the bridge that the tanned boy was able to get down. Upon entering the new room, Ratchet could see an elevator of sorts on the other side of the room, however, even with Clank's Thruster Pack, it seemed like he couldn't get across, especially not with having to take Ico and Yorda with the two. However, Yorda walked up towards the edge.

"Yorda! What are you doing?!" Ratchet called out. Suddenly, in front of Yorda, a stone floor appeared. The solanian almost let a scream when he saw what happened.

"C-CLANK?! DID YOU JUST SEE THAT!" Ratchet yelled, pointing towards the newly formed floor.

"Yes… I see it…" said Clank, rubbing the bottom of his robotic head. "Yorda, is this… magic?"

"Magic?"

Yorda looked at Clank, clearly not understanding what he said.

"Ratchet… this is no ordinary world… I think we've deviled into a world of fantasy…" Clank whispered to Ratchet.

"Fantasy? Like, what you said about magic and stuff?" The lombax questioned.

"I do believe so. I mean, there is no probable way that Yorda could have summoned that floor without the use of extraterrestrial forces such as magic."

"You're right… but still, it seems strange. I mean, Yorda is really fragile, yet she can use magic… Suspicious…"

"Well, suspicious as it might be, we must help these two humans."

"Hey, are you two OK?" Ico asked Ratchet and Clank. The two stood up quickly and looked around the room, pretending if nothing were wrong.

"Yup, we're fine." Ratchet said.

"Yes, nothing wrong here." Clank said.

"Well, we should head on. Yorda has made the path for us."

Ico walked next to Yorda as they waited for Ratchet and Clank. The two walked towards the edge, and reached out their leg on the stone floor to make sure they wouldn't fall.

Upon seeing it was safe, Ratchet and Clank stepped on the floor as a new floor was created. As the four kept moving, new floors were created in front of them. Ratchet saw that the stone idols he and Clank saw when they first explored the castle were in front of them.

"Great, how are we going to open this?" He questioned. However, Yorda walked in front of the idols. Strange static came out of her hands and hit the idols. A noise was made as the idols lit up, then moved out of the way, allowing access for the four.

"What the? Are you the reason those idols are moved out of the way Yorda?" Ratchet asked. Yorda held her hands together as she exhaled, looking at the ground.

"Yorda, do… do you have some sort of special power?" asked Clank.

Again, Yorda gave no reply.

"I know you two wish to get answers." Ico said. "But Yorda does not understand you. I have tried to talk to her before and it does not work. It's best if you let the language barriers be."

"Language barriers?" Ratchet questioned.

"It means, even with our translators, Yorda will not understand us. Presumably because she speaks a different language. Though, unlike the one Ico speaks, her language must be something along the lines of an ancient, dead language." Clank explained

"You mean, like some of the languages on prehistoric stuff back in Solana?"

"Precisely. Due to the age, no one has made a translation for these languages."

"So when Ico said to let the language barriers be?"

"It means that we simply can't talk to her. The only way we'll be able to communicate is with our body language."

Ratchet scratched his furry chin, navigating with Ico and Yorda through the castle was becoming more difficult then it seems. Unlike his past adventures, where he went against Chairman Drek and Dr. Nefarious, and solved the Protopet incident, the castle was going to prove to be his most difficult challenge. Yet despite this, Ratchet knew he wasn't going to give up.

However, a rumbling of sorts snapped Ratchet out of his thoughts. He saw Ico by a lever.

"Something must have opened below, let's see what it is." The horned boy said as he led the pale girl to the right. The lombax and robot followed behind them, and the four got onto a platform. Upon stepping on it, the platform descended lower and let Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda onto the lower floor.

"Hey, it looks like you opened a new pair of torches, Ico." pointed out Ratchet. "Is the stick you dropped still here?"

Ico saw the brown stick lying on the ground near the large circular door just a few feet away. He ran over to it and grabbed the stick, but dropped his sword.

 _"Why does he need to do that?"_ Ratchet thought as Ico lit up the stick, running over to the two torches and lighting them up. Immediately, the stone door opened up as a blinding white light shone through the room.

* * *

Unknown to Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda, near the entrance where the lombax and robot had arrived, the light had hit a pillar with an orb inside of it that stood on top of a large stone column. The stone orb began to move as it began producing a type of magical energy. It hit the large door as one part of it began to shine.

* * *

"I think we're done here." said Clank. "Is there anywhere else we should go to?"

"Since this is the East Arena, we must go to the West Arena." Ico said.

"Do you know where that is?" asked Ratchet.

"I… I do not…"

"Well, let's find it."

* * *

After climbing out of the newly opened door, heading down the path the four arrived to the East Arena to, and after battling some of the Shadow Creatures, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda finally reached the end of the long path. The four began to climb a ladder up, since the horned boy hadn't explored it before. Upon entered a small balcony, Clank saw a lever that hadn't been pulled.

"I have this under control." The robot said as he walked over to it.

He reached his small arms out and grabbed the lower part of the lever, pulling it down. Unbeknownst to him, a bridge that was on a lower floor from where the lombax, robot, horned boy, and pale girl were was connected. They soon realized this when they heard a bump, and Ratchet stuck his head out from the railing.

"Hey buddy, looks like you connected a bridge!" he said.

"Did I? Well, that must be useful."

"Well c'mon; let's see where that heads to."


	7. Chapter 7

**(AN: Got no real new messages or announcements here, soo I guess you can ignore this AN. I'll just be on my jolly ol' wayyyyyyy...)**

 _ ***insert copyright here***_

* * *

Exiting out of the room and heading back down the stairs, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda went through the opening in front of them which lead to the lower portion of the room they were just in. However, the bridge Clank lowered was now accessible.

"And hey, there's a new opening just right there for us. This'll be a breeze!" Ratchet said as he ran on the bridge, Ico and Clank followed after him but Yorda simply walked, then turned her head to the left once she crossed the bridge.

"Yorda? What's wrong?" The robot asked. She ran towards the left, and instead of entering inside like Ratchet already had done, she stood in front of some pillars.

"Yorda what's up? C'mon, we're going! What are you wasting time for?" Ratchet said when he saw that everyone wasn't coming. The pale girl shook her head and said something in her language, before pointing at a rope.

"You want me to cut that?" The horned boy asked. Yorda said nothing, but stared at the ground.

"OK, I shall cut them."

Ico saw a box towards the corner and pushed it against one of the pillars. Getting on top of it, Ico then climbed onto a small stone walkway and carefully shifted himself towards the rope. He grasped his sword and swung down, cutting the rope. However Ico lost his footing, and fell onto the ground. Yorda gasped as Ratchet went over and helped Ico up.

"Hey, you OK?" The lombax asked.

"Yes, I'm fine… thank you, Ratchet." replied Ico.

"Now that we've cut the rope, how about we move on?"

"We should. And, question… Yorda? How did you know about us needing to cut that rope?"

Yorda didn't reply, she simply stared at Clank.

"Another question unanswered yet again… it was just what I was expecting…"

* * *

Entering back where Ratchet was first headed, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda were on a balcony of sorts. Ico looked down and saw the bridge he knocked down with a bomb earlier in his adventure, long before he met the lombax and the robot.

"Now… which was do we go? Left? Or Right?" questioned Clank, rubbing his robotic chin.

"Left." said Ratchet.

"Are you sure?" Ico asked.

"Yup, surer than a pair of horny toads. C'mon."

Walking left and taking a turn, the four ran towards the other side of the room. However, Ratchet's ears perked up when he heard a familiar sound from the distance of the room.

"Watch out guys, we have company." Ratchet warned. Clank, Ico, and Yorda were confused at Ratchet's warning, but out of nowhere, the flying shadow demons emerged and flew towards the four. Ico held his sword and gripped onto Yorda's hand tightly as Clank got on Ratchet's back. The two swung their weapons and hit their targets. However more shadow creatures flew towards Ico and Ratchet.

They threw the lombax and the horned boy onto the floor as one of them picked up Yorda. The pale girl gasped as the shadow creature flew towards the pool of darkness from where it came from.

"YORDA!" Ratchet screamed as he quickly got up from the floor. Ico called out as the two made their way to the pool. Ratchet jumped and swung his Omniwrench, hitting the closest creatures as they dissipated into the air. Ico grabbed onto Yorda's hand (who was now being pulled into the pool) and got her back up from it. He then proceeded to help Ratchet kill the remaining standing shadow creatures as finally, the pool of darkness went away.

"That… that was a close call…" Ico breathed.

"Yeah… it was…" replied Ratchet. "But still… we made it out…"

"Yes… now… where do we go?"

* * *

After getting lost for some time, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda went down the collapsed bridge they had passed by before. Seeing as how there were idols moved out of the way, it was clear that Ico and Yorda had been here before. Entering into the outside, Ratchet and Clank noticed that they were back in the graveyard from when they first started exploring the castle.

"It's déjà vu… I tell you…" Ratchet muttered to himself. Suddenly, Yorda began running by herself. She turned a corner, then another, and went down the steps. Upon seeing this, Ico and Ratchet ran after her. She entered inside the arch and turned left as the horned boy and lombax followed right after her. They saw the pale girl standing in front of a rope.

"Where did this come from? I don't remember this." Ico said.

"I didn't see this either." said Ratchet. He then remembered the rope Ico had cut on the top floor.

"Wait Ico! That's the rope you cut!"

"Is it? Hm… then it seems we should climb it."

"No, you already did something. Let me do it this time. Stay here with Yorda, and if those shadow creatures attack, just call out and I'll be there. Alright?"

Ico nodded. "Yes I understand."

Ratchet rubbed his hands together and jumped high up, hanging onto the rope. He began to climb up to the top as he stared in front of an open window.

"I can't just glide over there right?" Ratchet asked Clank.

"No, it seems you'll have to swing." replied the robot. Nodding, Ratchet began to swing back and forth on the rope. As it swung forth, Ratchet took his hands off of the rope and jumped, going through the open window. However he noticed he was going straight first onto the stone floor. Ratchet screamed as he hit the floor.

"Oww…" Ratchet muttered, rubbing his aching head. "That was a bad landing…"

Clank, who was sent flying away from Ratchet when he hit the ground, got up and rubbed his metallic body.

"Well, at least we've arrived here. Now, where do we go?"

Out from the corner of Ratchet's eye, he noticed a stone block on top of a high surface. Near it, a ladder was present, but it was cut off mid-way.

"There! Come on, Clank, climb on and use the Thruster Pack!"

Clank climbed onto Ratchet as the lombax crouched. He then shot up into the air as Clank activated the Thrust Pack. Ratchet placed his hands on the last step of the ladder as he began to climb up. Reaching the top, Ratchet looked at the stone block.

"I say we push this. After all, there's no reason for this to be sitting up here."

Ratchet went behind the block and began to push it. The stone block fell onto the ground as Ratchet soon came up with another idea.

"Wait… what if I use this block to help Ico and Yorda reach up here?"

"That's a brilliant idea Ratchet! You should see if it'll work." Clank said.

Ratchet nodded as he positioned the stone block in front of the open window. He then pushed it as hard as he could as the stone block fell. Yorda yelped as a loud BOOM was made as the stone block hit the floor.

"Don't worry! We found a way to get Yorda across!" yelled Ratchet out of the window. "Let's get her up here!"

Ico ran up to the box and climbed on it. He jumped onto the ledge and got up where Ratchet and Clank were standing. The horned boy reached out of the window and pulled his hand out. Yorda ran over to the block and climbed on top of it slowly. She jumped and grabbed onto Ico's hand, pulling her inside.

"Alright, let's go now!" Ratchet said. Seeing as how the only location for the four to go were stairs near them, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda ran to the stairs and climbed up them. They saw the pair of stone idols that had been seen all over the castle.

"You know what to do, Yorda." Clank said. The burst of electric energy emerged from Yorda and hit the idols as they lit up. They moved out of the way and allowed the four to pass.

* * *

The lombax, the robot, the horned boy, and the pale girl heard the sound of running water much like in a previous room. Ico scanned the room and saw only one exit of sorts since the door on the other side was shut, a ladder.

"Let's go up there." Ico said, pointing to it. He walked over to it with Yorda in hand as Ratchet and Clank followed the two. Ico, Yorda, and Ratchet climbed the ladder as they walked across a small ledge. They saw a large open window and climbed on it (Yorda getting help from Ico and Ratchet). However, they saw on the other side, there was no exit, and near the ledge, there was a chain to swing on to the other side of a large stone walkway.

"Yeah, Yorda isn't getting across to that." Ratchet said. "Clank, watch after Yorda OK?"

"Me? But, surely I can't do much?" The robot questioned.

"Just pretend to be Secret Agent Clank, alright?"

"OK, I'll see what I can do…"

"What's Secret Agent Clank? Why is Clank a "secret agent"?" Ico asked.

"Don't worry about it. It's a little too complex for you. Anyway, you ready? On the count of three. One… two… three!"

Ratchet and Ico jumped onto the chain as they hung on. They began to swing on it as they jumped to the other side. The two took a right as they climbed up another ladder and saw a switch on the floor that raised the door in front of it.

"We probably shouldn't go in there. It's best not to leave Clank and Yorda behind." Ratchet said. Ico nodded as the two went back down the ladder and ran straight ahead. To their right was a long ladder leading down to the grassy area. They climbed down it as Ico noticed a stone block to the side.

"We'll worry about this later." The horned boy said. They climbed down onto a lowering as they saw a set of platforms on top of each other and an elevator. Ratchet and Ico got on it as the lombax pulled the lever. The elevator shot up onto a balcony where the two walked straight, passing by the sealed door they had went past before and a lever. Ico pulled the lever as Ratchet noticed the steel bars on the door lowering.

"Hey, maybe this is how we can get Yorda across!" He observed.

"You're right. Let's get her now."

* * *

After getting Yorda from the location they had left her and Clank, and going back down the elevator, Ico groaned in frustration as they realized they couldn't get Yorda across as Ico couldn't climb up.

"It's too far up…" said Ico.

"Then let me and Ratchet do it. We've done it before." Clank volunteered. He climbed onto Ratchet's back as the lombax crouched and shot up into the air. Clank activated the Thruster Pack as Ratchet climbed back onto the grassy area. He pushed the block down which allowed Yorda access. Ico climbed onto the block and jumped up onto the ledge as Yorda followed behind him and grabbed Ratchet's hand.

Ratchet and Ico led Yorda back up to the walkway where they were before (though the lombax started getting impatient at how slow the pale girl climbed up the ladder). They climbed up the other ladder and stepped onto the switch. The door raised as Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda walked across.


	8. Chapter 8

**(AN: These chapters are getting longer and longer I swear. Well then again, we are closing to the end of our adventure, so it's only natural.**

 **Anyway, we're finishing up the waterfall area this chapter, along with that, we've got some creepy foreshadowing coming up. What could this mean for our heroes? Read and find out!)**

 ** _I think a copyright goes here but I'm not sure... oh, I'm sure Sony won't be mad if I use these characters without putting a copyright._  
**

* * *

A new room lay in front of Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda as they passed by the raised door. They walked across the stone walkway and into another room, which was quite dark as there were no open "windows", nor any light seeping into the room.

"So what do you suppose we do here?" asked Ratchet, looking around the room. "We have to start somewhere."

A lone ladder stood on the lower portion of the room as Ico noticed it. He ran over to it, calling out for the three. The horned boy began to climb on the ladder as a pipe connected to the wall was above Ico. He saw that there was a platform far away, and knowing he could jump without risking death, he knew he had to go across on the pipe.

"Hey, Ico! Watch out will ya?" Ratchet called out as Ico hung onto the pipe, moving to the left. Ratchet had to admit, Ico was very good at hanging onto the pipe despite the sword in his left hand. He moved onto the stone platform and climbed onto another pipe near the platform. After traversing across it, yet another stone platform with a pipe near it lay.

"Jeez, how many pipes are there in here? I don't remember seeing this place use plumbing before." Ratchet asked himself.

"Just imagine if the plumber back home saw these pipes." replied Clank.

"Then we really would get a case of plumber's crack."

Yorda turned her head in confusion. She had no idea what the horned boy's strange new friends were talking about, stuff such as a plumber and his crack she didn't understand.

* * *

After going onto the final platform, Ico saw that out the window, there was a ladder. Climbing on the open window, he climbed down on the ladder and heard the sound of rushing water.

At the end of the ladder, he took his hands off the steps and landed on the ground with an "oomph!" With the sound of owls and birds in the air, Ico walked around the large stone steps and to the other side, seeing a lever by the wall. He pulled it and as he did, the wooden door only a few feet away opened.

"Whoa!" Ico heard Ratchet say in surprise. Just as he was about to enter the room where the lombax, the robot, and the pale girl were waiting, something in a tree by him caught his eye.

"What is that?" Ico said to himself. He wacked on the tree with his sword as the object fell. It bounced on the floor as he recognized it, it was a ball. Seeing the ball however, gave Ico a flashback to his childhood.

* * *

 ** _TOSKA VILLAGE_**

 _The young children of the Toska Village were playing with a ball in the sandy fields of the village. They had finished their chores and had time to play. However a young boy, Ico, sat alone by the group of children, depressed knowing that they wouldn't let him play. He looked onto the ground as multiple shadows overcame him._

 _"Well well… it's the horned child." said the eldest boy of the group in the village's native tongue. "It's such a shame a freak like you can't play, all you would do is cause us misfortune!"_

 _The kids laughed as Ico came close to tears. Since birth, he had been harassed by the adults and children of the village, due to him being the sacrifice for this generation._

 _"Why don't you get yourself sacrificed now? It makes it better so we don't have to see you!" said one of the girls. The children laughed again as the sacrifice buried his head in his legs._

 _"Go away… leave me alone…" Ico said softly._

 _"What's that? You're speaking up? I can't hear you!" said another boy._

 _"I said leave me alone…"_

 _The eldest boy looked at Ico before pushing him onto the ground with his foot._

 _"Oh yeah? What's going to stop me? Some weirdo who's going to die before he's an adult? Give me a break!"_

 _He began to kick Ico as the sacrifice tried to protect himself, but was soon overpowered as the other children joined in. He had no choice but to accept all the blows he was receiving._

* * *

Ico gasped as he returned to reality. He picked up the ball and felt it.

 _"I can't believe it… I'm holding a ball for the first time…"_ Ico thought. He never thought a day would come where he could do something he couldn't do in the village. However, just before he could think about being a kid again, he remembered Ratchet, Clank, and Yorda. With the ball in hand, the horned boy went up the steps and into the room, where the three were waiting for him.

"Well there you are. I was kinda getting worried." Ratchet said. "What's with the ball?"

"I found this in a tree." Ico replied. "However I'm not sure what it does."

"Well you play with it obviously. What else do you need a ball for?"

Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda failed to realize that just a few diameters away, Clank was examining a wall. He noted how the wall in the middle seemed different in terms of color.

"Something's not right here…" The robot said to himself as he placed his robotic hand on the wall. Suddenly, he yelped as the wall began to push. Clank fell to the ground as Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda looked to his direction.

"Clank! Are you alright, Clank?!" Ratchet desperately asked.

"I'm fine Ratchet. But it seems I found something. We might not know what's down those steps."

Ico took Yorda's hand and held out his sword, walking slowly down. Ratchet took out his Omniwrench, expecting one of the shadow creatures to pop out. However, instead a stone circle was the only thing that lay in the room, along with another set of stairs and a walkway. The four stepped on the circle as a column raised from on top the walkway.

"What did that do?" Ico asked. Ratchet walked over to it and examined it, noting how there was an opening on top.

"It looks like we put something in there." The lombax said. He turned his head back to the two humans and saw the ball in Ico's hand.

"Ico, pass me your ball."

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it."

Ico passed Ratchet the string ball. He dribbled it a bit and threw it into the air. It landed inside the opening with a small thud.

"Did that do anything?" Clank asked. All of a sudden, from the corner of Ico's eye, he saw something fly out from the window.

"DUCK!" He yelled. Ratchet and Clank moved out of the way as Ico took Yorda and threw themselves onto the ground, the pale girl gasping as the object hit the ground with a clang. The four looked up and saw a large handle with a spiked ball on the tip.

"Oh wow… it's a mace!" Ratchet said. Ico walked up to it and picked it up.

"Perhaps I can replace my sword with this. It seems stronger."

"That is correct, Ico. Mace's are generally more effective in combat compared to swords, and with the length of that mace, you could do copious amounts of damage to the shadow creatures." Clank explained.

"Then that's good. Let's leave here, there's nothing more left for us to do."

* * *

After leaving the hidden room and going back outside, Ratchet saw a stone block by the rushing water.

"Let me and Clank get across this. Your arms are probably still hurting from all that pipe climbing."

Despite Ico's words, Ratchet pushed the stone block by the edge as he climbed on top of it.

"Ready, Clank?" he asked.

Clank nodded as Ratchet burst forward from the thruster pack. He got on the other side and turned his head right, then left, noticing a well hidden ladder on the other side. Running towards it, the lombax climbed on it until reaching the top, where he noticed a very large valve. Ratchet placed his hand on it and turned the valve until it stopped. On the lower floor, the Watergate began to close as the small stream died out.

"That should do it!" Ratchet called out. He jumped off the building as Ico and Yorda looked shocked, until Ratchet glided down with the thruster pack. Ico climbed down to where Ratchet and Clank was as Yorda simply stood there. Ico called out for her as she took small steps towards the edge. She placed her hand on the ground and climbed down. The four went towards the opening from where the water was flowing and entered the room they were in earlier.

Jumping off the platform and going down the stairs, Ico and Ratchet climbed the railing as Yorda did it carefully. They walked across a bridge and saw a stone couch by them.

"Let's take a rest. We need it bad." Ratchet said. He noted that the sun was going down as well, as the sky began to turn red. "Plus it's getting dark soon."

The three placed themselves on the couch as it glow. They began to close their eyes and rest for the puzzles that would lay for them in the future.

However, late into the night, Ratchet jerked as he snored in his sleep.

* * *

 _"W-Where am I?" Ratchet asked himself. He was in a dark, empty room that was very cold, surrounded by mist and fog. The lombax shivered as mist surrounded him. He then heard a cold voice in the mist._

 _"So, you are the one accompanying my daughter along with your robot friend and that horned child."_

 _Ratchet turned around as he saw a veil of black, almost like a cloak of sorts. A pale face appeared within the veil, making Ratchet's fur rise._

 _"Who are you?!" he asked._

 _"My, it seems you are as foolish as I thought. I am the queen of this castle. I must say, having that horned child is very irritating, but there's nothing that I can do since he's a sacrifice. However, I don't appreciate strangers coming into my castle."_

 _"Q-Queen? You're Yorda's mother then! Why are you trying to do these things to her?!"_

 _"My poor little lombax friend… don't be so rude. Yorda is very important to me, and I can't have wanderers taking her from me."_

 _Ratchet jerked up. He noted that the queen knew what species he is._

 _"How do you know what I am?"_

 _"That's a simple question; you see, I can see into your mind, and I know everything you've done lombax. I know you've saved galaxies on multiple occasions, and are known as a great hero all across your world. But this is my world now. Here in this castle, you are nothing. No one can save you, your robot friend, and that sacrifice. Remember that, lombax!"_

 _Ratchet snorted. "Oh yeah? What, you and those shadow creatures are going to stop us? As if! We're going to save Yorda, and me and Clank are going to leave this place!"_

 _The queen scoffed as she put on a face of anger. "Insolent fool! You are no match for my power!"_

 _The queen threw out a burst of electricity at Ratchet as he fell to the ground, screaming._

 _"You may be strong, but it is just as I said, you are nothing. The villains you've faced are nothing like me. They will never see powers like mine. This is a warning to you, lombax; stop fooling around with that sacrifice and my daughter if you know what's good for you."_

 _The queen vanished from the dark room with a burst of dark energy._

* * *

Ratchet yelled as he woke up from his nightmare, waking up Ico, Yorda, and Clank from his sleep mode.

"Ratchet!? What's wrong?" Ico said.

"Ico… oh it's you… I had a nightmare… I saw a w-woman… she's was completely dark, and her face was hidden by a veil of darkness."

"Woman? Veil of darkness? You mean… the queen?"

"Y-Yeah… she appeared in my dream… She warned me to not be around you and Yorda if I know what's best for me."

"Hm… it seems that she entered your mind while you were asleep to give you that warning. However, the Ratchet I know would ignore her, right?"

Ratchet softly chuckled. "Yeah, you know me, Clank. I'm not going to back down. We've come really far, and I'm still set on helping Yorda along with going home. Right, Ico?"

Ico nodded.

"That's good. Tomorrow, let's head off and show the queen whose boss. I'm sure we'll be out of this castle in no time."

* * *

The next morning, the four woke up from their well-needed rest. Ratchet was feeling better from his nightmare, as he was the first to wake up.

"Rise and shine everybody! It's time we head out!" He announced. Clank found it shocking that Ratchet had a lot of energy this morning, as the lombax often slept in and was definitely not a morning person back home.

Below the bridge, Ico could see a pair of stone idols. He called out to Ratchet and pointed at them.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

The four headed down the stairs to the right and climbed down to the lower part of the room. Going down a slope, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda were close to their destination.

However, an oh-so familiar sound was heard across the room. Yorda gasped as two dark pools on different sides of the room formed. The lombax grasped his Omniwrench while the horned boy held his mace tightly. Four of the larger shadow demons came running towards the group. Ratchet was successful in hitting two of them, knocking them to the ground while Ico had more unfortunate luck, swinging his mace then missing.

The shadow demons knocked Ico to the ground as one of them grabbed Yorda. The pale girl gasped as she tried to fight her way out of their grasp, but failed. Ico quickly got up and swung his mace, Yorda dropping onto the floor as Clank ran over, making sure she was OK. In only two swings, the shadow demons died as the pool dissipated.

"We're already dealing with these demons first thing in the morning. The queen was right." Ratchet said.

"How so?" asked Clank.

"She said that I needed to stop being with Ico and Yorda if she knew what was best for me, and what other way to stop me then to send those shadow creatures?"

"I only hope they don't grab Yorda. May the Sun God know what would happen…" Ico said to himself. They walked up to the ledge where the idols were, but found none of them were able to climb on top of it.

"What do we do know?"

Suddenly, Ratchet remembered the stone block by the dried out river. He facepalmed as he groaned.

"I can't believe we forgot about that!" he said. Suddenly, an idea popped up in Clank's mind.

"Ratchet, I think I have a solution! I will need yours and Ico's help."

The two looked at the robot confused.

"Ico, you need to give Ratchet a boost so he can climb up. Then, he'll be able to get everyone on top of the ledge."

Ico nodded as he walked to the wall, holding out his hands. With Clank getting on his back, Ratchet followed behind him and got on his foot as Ico lifted him up. Ratchet climbed on the ledge and held his hand out. Ico jumped and Ratchet pulled him up. Getting back to the end of the ledge, Ratchet held his hand out to Yorda, but the pale girl didn't want to, as she said something in her native tongue and shook her head.

"I know it seems tough, but believe in yourself, Yorda. You can do it." Ratchet said. Even though she couldn't understand him, she knew she had to try. She jumped as high as she could as Ratchet caught her. Ico helped Ratchet pull her up as the princess was pulled up to the ledge.

"Alright! We did it! Now, ladies first to do the honors?"

Ratchet extended his hand towards the idols as Yorda walked to it. The same burst of electricity shot from her as the idols lit up, making the same usual sound. The four passed through it into a new area.

* * *

Much like the other rooms in the castle, the sound of rushing water was heard when the four entered the new room. They went down the flight of stairs and onto the rock. Ratchet examined his surroundings and saw that they were most likely in some sort of cave, as rock was everywhere. As Ratchet, Clank (on the lombax's back), Ico, and Yorda followed the stream of water; they passed by two waterfalls and saw a source of light. Ratchet gasped in awe as the room in front of him was a very giant chasm with mechanical parts all around.

"We have to start somewhere. Let's head up that ladder." he said. Ratchet climbed the ladder as Ico followed behind him. The horned boy called up for Yorda as she climbed slowly. When she reached the top, Ico took her hand and the four continued on, heading up a wooden side path. They had to stop in front of a large opening that would certainly lead to death if they fell.

"Ico, you go first. I'll go next and we'll then get Yorda." Ratchet said. Ico nodded as he long jumped to the edge of the floor, barely getting across. He climbed up as Ratchet took a running start and activated the Thruster Pack, getting across safely. Ico held out his hand for Yorda as the pale girl jumped, grabbing onto Ico's hand and being pulled up. They then headed up the path as they saw the morning sun in the sky, illuminating the cave up.

Seeing as they were about to enter a new area, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda were ready for anything the queen was about to throw at them.


	9. Chapter 9

**(AN: And so, we got the Gondola and Water Tower here folks! From how many chapters I have left to upload, the story's almost finished. Sad I know, but hey, I hope you guys have been enjoying it so far. Anyway, let's begin** **)**

 ** _This is a message: Don't steal our characters unless you wish to be sued._  
**

 ** _-Sony_**

* * *

Entering the new area, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda ran through a stone walkway and onto an elevator of sorts. The lombax pulled down the lever as the crane that held the gondola extended out. The gondola lowered down onto the floor down below as the four stepped out of it.

"I will give the queen this; her architecture for the castle is quite impressive for ancient times." Clank said.

"Yeah, too bad this entire place is made up of death traps." Ratchet responded.

Passing by a stone couch, the four went down some stairs and went forward, seeing another set of stairs. However once they reached them, they saw that it was practically impossible to reach the other side.

"Well, now what?" asked Ratchet.

Ico rubbed his chin as he noticed the pipe on the ground. He followed it and saw that it lead up towards a higher platform.

 _"There's only one way to know."_ The horned boy thought. He placed his hand around it and started climbing up.

"Woah, Ico what are you doing?" Ratcher asked.

"I think our way around this is up here!" he responded. Ico climbed up and saw on the other side, a large wooden tower of sorts. He ran over to the other side and began pushing it, the rusted wheels moving as it went along the track. Pushing it far enough until it reached the limit, Ico climbed up the wooden ladder and saw a walkway on the other side. He attempted to jump, but was at an angle, and hit face first into the wall.

"Ico are you OK?" Ratchet asked, cringing thinking about the impact. Ico rubbed his head.

"Y-Yes… I am OK. I just missed a jump, so I need to try again."

Climbing up the ladder again, Ico walked towards the end of the top and jumped ahead, finally landing on the other side. Looking at his surroundings, Ico could see a lever on the other side. He pulled it down and heard a rumbling noise.

Down below where Ratchet, Clank, and Yorda were, a bridge fell down near the stone steps, allowing the four access.

"Hey Ico! Looks like you got a bridge made! Now we can pass!" Ratchet yelled out. However, suddenly a familiar sight was forming in front of Ratchet and Yorda.

"Oh no… a shadow pool…" Clank said. "Ico! You must come down immediately! The shadow creatures are coming!" he yelled out.

Hearing the robot's tone of voice, Ico climbed down the walkway and onto where the three were in record time just as the first of the shadow creatures began climbing out from the pool. A large creature went after Ratchet as the lombax swung his Omniwrench. While the creature was hit, they retaliated, slashing Ratchet on the chest as he fell to the ground.

Ico began swinging his mace as he started bringing down some of the shadow creatures. A few of the flying ones came down as Ratchet got up.

"We're being overwhelmed! Don't they give up?" Ratchet said.

Despite being brought down a few times, and having one point where Yorda was grabbed by a shadow creature (who was soon killed by Ratchet just as they began to walk towards the pool), Ico and Ratchet were successful in killing the remaining creatures.

"Man kid, you and I make a good team. If only I knew how it would be like if you came back with me." Ratchet said.

"I don't know… it would seem weird to me." Ico replied.

"Don't worry about it; they would know you're with me."

Just as the four began to start crossing the bridge, they could see shadow creatures waiting on the other side. Ratchet groaned.

"It's like they're waiting for us!"

Getting over to the other side, a typical battle ensued between the shadow creatures and the horned boy and lombax. After killing the very few shadow creatures, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda began to climb up the steps and into an opening for a cave.

* * *

Entering the dark, stone cave, the four walked their way up the stone pathway as they heard the sounds of rushing water. Going around some stone, the four crossed a bridge as they heard the water clearer. After traversing the wooden bridge, the four climbed up some more stone and out of the cave as they saw the morning sky in front of them.

Climbing down out of the cave, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico landed without problem, but Yorda yelped as she climbed down. Making sure she was OK, the four travelled on, making their way to the right down the walkway. They saw a branching path of stairs.

"Alright… up or down?" Ratchet asked.

"Up seems to lead somewhere." Ico said.

"Yeah but… you never could know where down could lead us."

"Look, I'm sure it's up."

"Well I think it's dow-"

Clank tugged at Ratchet's pants. The lombax looked at the robot as he gave Ratchet a stern look. Ratchet rolled his eyes.

"OK… we'll go up…"

Smiling from his plan going right, Ico lead the three up the stairs (holding onto Yorda's hand of course) and onto a platform. Seeing a sideways lever, Ico attempted to push it, but found that he was far too weak.

"Ratchet? Do you mind helping me push this?" The horned boy asked. Ratchet rubbed his gloves together as the two boys began pushing the lever. The mechanics of the wheels began grinding together as a gate shut behind the pale girl and the platform began rising up as lombax and human pushed the lever.

Halfway through however, Ico complained that his arms were hurting.

"I know they hurt, but we gotta press on! The queen deliberately made it like this!" Ratchet said, hoping to motivate Ico. With new found ambition, Ico continued pushing on, and the four finally reached the top. Ico and Ratchet stretched their arms.

"I don't know if I can even swing this." The horned boy said.

"Well, I don't know either but hey, gotta try right?" The lombax replied.

Walking into the new walkway, there was a stone couch by the corner. Ico sighed happily.

"Let's take a break for now. Do you think we should search for food?" he asked.

"Is there even food around here?" Ratchet replied.

"Like you said, we have to try and see if we can find any."

Ratchet collapsed onto the stone couch as it began glowing. "But I'm too tired to. Clank, do you think you can find anything?"

Clank was flabbergasted. "Ratchet, you do realize I cannot scan for any food sources around here? After all, outside there seems to be nothing, and even if there were an animal, we would still need to cook it."

"Then be it, we aren't eating."

"You'll become very thin doing that. I'll take you to a five star restaurant when we get home, it's on me."

Ratchet shot up, looking at his robotic friend. "Wait really? You mean it?"

"My treat."

Meanwhile, Ico and Yorda looked at the two. He didn't understand what a "restaurant" was, and felt it was appropriate to ask the two.

"Um… what is a restaurant?" he asked softly. Ratchet and Clank looked at the horned boy.

"Oh man! I forgot you didn't know what that was! Awh boy, a restaurant is so amazing! Like, they basically serve food at restaurants. All kinds of food you see."

"Food?" Ico asked, feeling his stomach beginning to rumble.

"Yeah, there's stuff like steak and cultural foods. There's also all you can eat buffets were you can eat anything. But then there's stuff like burgers and pizza and ice cream. Ohh man… I already miss it."

Despite never hearing of any of those foods before, Ico could tell they were tasty by the way Ratchet's mouth was watering.

"I would like to have some of those…"

"Hmm… tell you what, if by some reason we escape and you end up with us, we'll take you to a restaurant. Sound like a fair deal?"

Ico nodded happily.

"And what about you Yorda? Do you agree as well?"

Yorda looked at her hands, while she didn't understand a word of what came out of the strange animals' mouth, she could tell that Ico was happy. She nodded slowly.

"Then it's settled, we'll go to one. All of us, and I could even invite some of my friends to introduce them to you."

All the talk of food from Solana made Ratchet remember their quest. He got up from the couch and looked at the three.

"Well, if we're going to make that promise happen, we'll have to go on."

"We do. Let's continue." Ico replied. The four left the small little fort and saw a bridge on the other side, however it was broken slightly, meaning Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda had to jump across.

"Let me go first." Ratchet said. Clank climbed onto the lombax's back as he activated the Thruster Pack, flying to the other side. Ico took a running start as he hopped to the other side, climbing onto the bridge. He then held his hand out as Yorda also took a running start, jumping just in time for Ico to catch her. The horned boy pulled the pale princess up the bridge as they turned around.

Seeing a large tower near them, there was no other way to get to the building on the other side without climbing the pipe on the lower floor. Remembering Yorda, Ratchet grabbed her arms slightly and looked at her.

"Stay right here OK? If those shadow creatures come out, yell out as loud as you can. We'll be there faster than you can say "Son of a Quark"."

Ico was confused at what Ratchet said, but tried not to make much of it. The lombax and the horned boy dropped down and and climbed onto the pipe below. They began to move sideways to the other side as they came to a complete stop at the end.

"You drop off first; I don't want you to fall." Ratchet said. Ico climbed down and moved out the way to allow Ratchet some space. The two walked towards the wall and climbed up on some ledges. After reaching the top, Ratchet and Ico were in front of a split path of wooden walkways.

"So where do we go?" Ico asked. Ratchet took note of a chain near a raised up bridge.

"I think I know. Can you give me a boost here Ico?"

Ratchet walked over to the chain as Ico lifted Ratchet up, Clank activating the Thruster Pack so the lombax could reach the chain. He began to swing on it and took his hands off of it, pushing the bridge down with his arm. The bridge completely went down as Yorda stood by the edge on the other side. Ico walked over to the edge and held his hand out, Yorda jumping and grabbing onto it.

Pulling her up, the two wondered what to do now.

"Perhaps the side we didn't check?" Ico asked. The three walked over to the split path and went forwards, going down on a lower walkway. While getting Yorda down, Ico noticed a lit up fire.

 _"That's strange… there normally aren't lit fires around here…"_ he thought. He saw Ratchet climbing up to a large stone area.

"Whoa… bombs…" he heard him say. Ico ran over to the area Ratchet was in and saw a row of ten bombs lined up. Along with that, he saw two sticks on the ground.

"Ico… you know what I'm thinking?"

"Huh?"

Ratchet grinned. "It's time to blow $!& up."

* * *

With a bomb right near the walkway, Ratchet nodded at Ico as the horned boy light up the stick in his hand. He walked over to the bomb and ignited it. Quickly, the two lifted it as hard as they could and swung the bomb a few times. After a few swings, Ratchet and Ico threw the bomb onto a wooden tower near the walkway. The tower collapsed as it hit a bridge on the top floor, toppling it onto the walkway above. Ratchet cheered at the result.

"Alright! We did it! And we got a huge explosion!" he said gracefully.

Ico ran back to the area and grabbed the mace he dropped to get the stick, running back to the walkway. He climbed on it and pulled Yorda up as usual. The three made their way to the bridge and onto the other side, where a lone chain sat. Ico ran over to it and climbed up the chain, getting to the top. He saw a box towards the left of the intersecting path and walked over to it, pushing it down to the lower floor, where a pair of idol statues lay.

Seeing as towards the left, there was a ledge that was too high to reach normally, Ico pushed the block to the wall and climbed up towards the ledge. He saw a lever to his left and pulled it. From behind him, a chain that was in between two wooden structures moved, allowing Ico to climb on it, though he couldn't as a fence blocked the path.

Going down from the ledge, Ico climbed the ladder towards the other side of the walkway and back on the wooden walkway. He stood in front of the chain as he saw a large lever on the other side. Jumping across the edge like a deer, Ico grasped on the chain as he began to swing back and forth. He then propelled himself off the chain as he held onto the edge as hard as he could, getting his balance and the strength to pull himself up.

Finally pulling himself up, Ico ran to the lever and began to push it. After some time, a large crate being held by a rope shot out from a side, allowing his three friends access. Just as Ratchet leaped to the crate and held his hand out for Yorda, a familiar feeling overcame him as a dark pool formed neared the pale princess.

 _"Oh no you don't!"_ Ratchet thought. Just as a large shadow creature came running towards Yorda, Ratchet attacked it with his wrench. Ico saw what was happening down below as he jumped to the chain, hurrying to help his new friend. Ratchet swung his Omniwrench left and right, defending himself and Yorda against the shadow creatures until Ico arrived to help the lombax.

"Man, if only I had my weapons! It would make things easier!"

Despite complaints, Ratchet was able to defeat them all as Ico finally arrived.

"I apologize for… being late…" Ico said, taking deep breaths.

"Don't worry Ico. Yorda's fine, and that's all that matters." Ratchet replied. He jumped on the crate as the horned boy followed behind them, reaching out his hand for Yorda. After getting the princess across from point A to point B, they stood in front of the idol statues.

"Well Yorda?" Ratchet asked. Yorda walked in front of the idol statues as the same electricity came out from Yorda, lighting up and then opening the statues. The four entered the newly opened area.

* * *

In the new room, Ico soon realized that they have all been in this room before, but not on this side. Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda walked down the walkway and into a part of the room with yet another pair of idol statues. The same electricity came out of Yorda and opened the way for the four.

Going into another newly opened area, Ratchet saw a familiar sight: the East Arena towards his left.

 _"Then that means to my right…"_ Ratchet thought as he looked to the right. He saw a large building off in the distance. The four traversed the long stone pathway until reaching the set of idol statues. Yorda opened the way as she went in first, prompting Ico, Ratchet, and Clank to follow after her.


	10. Chapter 10

**(AN: I never thought I'd say this, but we're at double digit chapters! Granted, there's three chapters left (SPOILERS, OOPS), so don't celebrate too long.**

 **Also, maybe it's just me, but please tell me I wasn't the only one who had a hard time with the two arena's when playing ICO for the first time. Those puzzles are hard, yo :P**

 **And one last thing, I know it's not a huge number, but we hit 100 views on the fic! Thanks to all who have been reading so far!** **)**

 ** _.tnemniatretnE retupmoC ynoS yb denwo era OCI dna knalC dna tehctaR_**

* * *

Among one of the first things Ratchet noticed about the West Arena was its striking resemblance to the East Arena. With the exception of the ladder being towards his left instead of his right, the room looked exactly the same.

"You can tell the queen got lazy here." The lombax said to Clank. Knowing full well what to do, Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda climbed up the ladder and to the upper floor. They saw a sealed off entrance, the seal being held down by a rope. Remembering what he did in the East Arena, Ico climbed up the steps in front of him and cut the rope, causing the barrier to lower.

"Alright! Let's go!" Ratchet said. Just as Ico began to start climbing down, a faint sound of a shadow pool forming was heard. Ratchet turned around as four shadow creatures flew down towards the lombax. Ratchet and Ico held their weapons closely as they attacked, the shadow creatures stumbling back upon impact. One of the creatures attacked Ratchet as he was sent down to the floor, Clank coming off of his back.

The robot got up as he ran up towards the shadow creature, punching it. The shadow creature hardly reacted to the punch, picking Clank up easily. Ratchet growled as he got up quickly, chasing after the shadow creature.

"NOBODY GETS AWAY WITH MY BEST FRIEND!" he yelled. As soon as the shadow creature dropped down to the shadow pool, pulling Clank in, Ratchet reached in and pulled Clank out of the pool. He quickly put Clank on his back as the creature attacked yet again. Ratchet attacked viciously, showing no mercy to the shadow creature that planned to take his friend.

As soon as the shadow creature was defeated, Ico had gotten done killing the remaining few while Yorda was backed up against a wall. Ratchet pulled Clank off of his back and hugged him tightly.

"Clank… I thought I was going to lose you…" he said.

"I was worried too until I heard your voice. Heaven knows what the queen would have done if she had gotten ahold of me." Clank replied. Ratchet lowered his gaze.

"I don't even want to think about what she'll do."

Ratchet turned around and looked at Ico and Yorda.

"Hey, are you guys alright?"

The two nodded in response.

"That's great, c'mon, let's head to the area you opened, Ico."

The four walked into the newly opened area.

* * *

Upon walking in, Ico saw a sword and a stick on the floor next to a stone couch.

"Should we take a small break?" he asked, looking at the couch.

"Sure I guess, we could use it." Ratchet replied, stretching his arms. The three walked over to the couch and sat down on it, the stone seat glowing.

After some time had passed, Ico and Ratchet felt that they had enough break time, and it was time to continue on with their quest. Getting off of the couch, Ico climbed the ladder near the group and saw a lever near the wall. The horned boy pulled the lever down as sconces by the large, closed off mirror opened. Remembering the puzzles in the East Arena again, Ico climbed down the ladder and picked up the stick by the couch.

Climbing back up the ladder, Ico walked over to the flaming torch and lit the stick up. He jumped down to the bottom floor and lit the two sconces up. Immediately, the stone wall began to open up.

"Great job, Ico." Ratchet complimented.

As Ico climbed down the ladder, Yorda and Ratchet following behind him, Clank jumped off of Ratchet's back as he noticed Ico left behind the mace. Running to it, he grabbed the weapon and hovered down just as Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda climbed onto a button similar to the one found in the East Arena. The button was pushed to the ground as stone stairs formed near the group.

Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda climbed up the stairs to the top, where the horned boy found a lever. He pulled it down as more sconces appeared near the window. Lighting the stick on fire, Ico lit up the two sconces as the reflector opened. However, Ratchet saw that from outside, shadow creatures began flying into the room.

"Ico! Don't use the stick, I brought you this!" Clank said. He passed Ico his mace.

"Oh! Thank you, Clank!" Ico replied. Ico and Ratchet began to attack the shadow creatures one by one. However, just as one died, more and more began coming in. A group of shadow creatures surrounded human and lombax as they were both attacked, brought to the ground. They soon came after Yorda, the pale princess gasping as one of the larger shadow creatures put her over their shoulder.

The shadow creature began to fly to the other side of the room, getting into the shadow pool.

"ICO! RATCHET! THEY'RE GETTING AWAY WITH YORDA!" Clank yelled. Ratchet and Ico quickly got up, ignoring the pain as they ran over to the other side of the room as quickly as they could. Yorda began to yell as she clawed at the ground, hoping to get up. She could feel her feet becoming chilled as she no doubly felt her mother's presence from the other side.

Before she could think about being dead, she felt two hands pull her up. Yorda looked up and saw Ico and Ratchet pulling her up from the shadow pool. More shadow creatures started emerging as Ratchet and Ico continued to attack, backing up some of the shadow creatures to a corner.

After killing a significant amount of them, the horned boy and the lombax felt it was the end, however, it was not to be, as even more shadow creatures emerged from the shadow pool.

"Geez! They never give up do they?" Ratchet complained. He yelled and swinged his Omniwrench, attacking the remaining shadow creatures. The pool finally dissipated as Ratchet sighed, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.

"Man, the queen doesn't wanna give up does she?"

"It doesn't seem like it. We must be very careful; we may never know when another shadow creature attack will take place." Clank replied.

* * *

After climbing back up the stairs, the group climbed up the reflector and outside. The sun shined glowingly on Ratchet's fur, Clank's metallic body, and Ico and Yorda's skin. Judging from how the sun was positioned, Ratchet could tell it was most likely noon.

 _"How long have I even been here actually?"_ he thought. _"I wonder how everyone's doing… Sasha, Helga, Skid, Al, Skrunch, possibly Quark, heck, maybe even everyone on the Starship Phoenix is worried about me. And what about everyone else in Solana? What if something happened and I wasn't there?"_

Feeling anxious, Ratchet took a deep breath and calmed down.

 _"Alright Ratchet… calm yourself… obviously the queen is putting some sort of stress onto you. I'm sure nothing's happened while you were gone."_

 _"…at least… I hope…"_

Seeing as how Ico was walking to his left and climbing up the ladder, calling for Yorda in his native tongue, Ratchet climbed up behind her, Clank climbing onto his back yet again. Ratchet walked along with Ico and Yorda into the hallway back inside of the room they were just in.

* * *

The first thing Ratchet noticed was the chain towards the edge. He held his arm out in front of Ico.

"You deserve a bit of a rest from all this puzzle solving. Let me take care of this one." he said.

Ratchet walked over to the edge and looked at the chain in front of him. Taking a running start, he ran to the edge and jumped off, getting on the chain. He started to climb up the chain as he reached the top. Ratchet saw that there was a blocked off door.

"We'll need to use a bomb for this." Clank reminded Ratchet.

"I know, I know. There should be one around here…" The lombax replied. Ratchet saw there was a hole towards the middle, and he jumped over it, landing on the other side. Ratchet climbed up the steps, seeing a stick and a sword by the corner. Two ropes held up a wooden bridge as Ratchet knew he had to cut it.

Taking his Omniwrench, Ratchet attempted to make a cut into the rope, but to no avail.

"Why. Isn't. This. Cutting!" Ratchet hissed.

"Your Omniwrench isn't sharp enough to cut the rope, Ratchet. You will need a sharper object." The robot replied.

"OK, and what do you propose?"

"The sword in the corner."

Ratchet looked at the sword before facepalming. Grabbing the sword and getting both ropes cut, the bridge soon fell down, allowing one half of it to be accessed.

"Looks like we need another bridge." Ratchet said.

He looked to the side and saw another pair of ropes holding up the other side of the bridge. The lombax walked over to the other side and cut the ropes with the sword. After they were cut, the other side of the bridge fell down, allowing full access. On the other side, a locked door with a switch on the floor lay.

Knowing what to do, Ratchet stepped on the switch, allowing him access to another room.

* * *

Ratchet's ears picked up the sound of running water as the door behind him closed. Seeing a lever, Ratchet pulled it down as the water shut off.

Seeing as there was no more use in the room, Ratchet returned back to the room he was in, walking all the way down to where the hole was, which now had a bridge. Ico and Yorda looked at Ratchet as he crossed the bridge to the other side.

In the new room, Ratchet saw the edge of the balcony ended.

"There's a dead end. What's the point of this place?" The lombax asked.

From the corner of Clank's eye, he saw a collection of bombs on the ground. He tugged on Ratchet's arm and pointed to them.

"Remember the boarded up wall? We will need to explode it with those bombs."

"Yeah, but last time I tried to lift those heavy bombs by myself, it didn't do so good."

"Who said you were going to lift it?"

* * *

Taking Clank's advice, Ratchet rolled the bomb all the way to the boarded up door. He ran up the stairs and grabbed a stick, running back down and lighting the stick up. Ratchet then crossed over the walkway to the bomb, lighting it up. The bomb began to ignite as it soon exploded. He could hear Yorda gasping from down below, most likely scared by the explosion.

"Don't worry, Yorda! Everything's fine!" Ratchet called out. While he knew the princess of the castle wouldn't understand him, he still worried about her safety. Ratchet soon dropped the stick in his right hand and reequipped his Omniwrench.

"It seems like this place goes around." Ratchet said, poking his head outside. "I know what to do, we'll take a path around to take Ico and Yorda around."

"Good thinking, Ratchet! Climb down and return back to them."

* * *

After reuniting with Ico and Yorda, the group exited out of the room, back inside from the large window outside, and ran back to the main area of the West Arena. The horned boy saw that the way around was blocked off by another seal.

"I will take care of this." he said. Ico climbed up the steps and hoping for not another shadow creature attack, he slashed the rope with his mace. The seal lowered down, allowing access for the four. Ico climbed down and took Yorda's hand as he went inside, Ratchet putting Clank on his back.

In the new area, a large slope was present, the stone still wet from the water that was flowing against it. Ratchet climbed up the slope as Ico and Yorda zigzagged back and forth as they climbed. Reaching the top, Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda ran to the left and entered the blown up area.

True to Ratchet's word, the area was in fact a place that looped around. The three walked on the bridge and went to the other side.

* * *

In the room Ratchet had visited previously, he remembered the strange phenomenon that occurred when Yorda had come close to the edge.

 _"That still was a strange thing… how could someone like Yorda have something like magic?"_ he thought. _"Is there a way she can unlock it and use its full power to defend herself?"_

Just as predicted, when Yorda got close to the edge, a flash of light shone and a platform was made. Ico took Yorda and as he walked forward, the next platform was created like last time. Ratchet followed behind the horned boy and the pale princess. As he did, he got the sight of looking down below, seeing how far he was from the main room.

 _"Clank would save me even if I fell. Just imagine how it would be like without him."_ Ratchet thought. As the three reached the end, a twin set of idol statues lay. On instinct, Yorda held her hands close as electricity shot out from them, lighting up the idol statues as they moved out of the way.

Walking to the walkway, Ratchet saw a lever to the right of the walkway and ran over to it, pulling it. Down below, two sconces were revealed by the shut off mirror. The three walked to the left this time and took the elevator down.

Knowing what to do, Ico walked over by the sticks and picked one up. He lit it up on an open flame and lit up the two sconces. The mirror began to open as sunlight shot into the room. However…

"You all… I feel something is off." Clank suspected.

"Do you really?" Ico asked.

"Yes… I have the strange suspicion we forgot something…"

Clank then remembered the reflector outside, which had been faced away.

"The reflector outside! We must turn it!"

"Oh wow, I didn't even realize!" Ratchet exclaimed. "Let's head back."

The three walked back into the first area they had traveled to in the West Arena, hoping to fix the reflector they had missed.


	11. Chapter 11

**(AN: Well, it's time for a new chapter, and hey, end of the West Arena now! Which means we're finally coming to the end, and our group of heroes can soon be free! Let's hope that all ends well...**

 **So, before we get this chapter started, I should explain something: Anyone who's played ICO knows that during the game's cutscenes, there are times where Yorda does talk. If you also played ICO, you know that there is a distinct language barrier for Ico and Yorda. Since one of the game's cutscenes plays out here, I have written out my interpretation of what Yorda's dialogue sounds like, instead of typing out the text, as** **I was trying to find ways to convert the runic language that Yorda uses into text that I can type, but unfortunately, to no avail DX.**

 **So as such, at the end of the chapter, I will provide the translations as to what Yorda is saying from the game itself (as there is a way to toggle her subtitles in English in the PAL PS2 and the NTSC-U/PAL PS3 version). Alright? Alright, let's get started.)**

 ** _No copyright message here, go along and read this fic. I'm sure no one will bust you._  
**

* * *

After returning back outside to the area with the reflector, Ico and Ratchet had turned it clockwise. Upon it facing the large mirror, a strange sound was made as far away from where Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda were, the light of the reflector hit the pillar with the orb inside of it on the right side.

Much like the one on the left, the stone began to move on its own as it produced magical energy. The burst of energy hit the right side of the door, lighting it up, and most importantly, allowing full access. By the bridge near the West Arena however, a door raised up.

Back at the reflector, Ratchet sighed.

"I think… that's it…" he said.

"Let's hope. There's only one way to find out." Ico replied. "We must return to the main gate."

"Agreed. We should not waste any more time." Clank said. The three got back up on the floors of the mirror, returning back inside the West Arena.

* * *

In the main room, since the large mirror was now open, the lombax and horned boy decided it would be easier to exit out from there. Getting on top of it and climbing through the other side, Ratchet and Ico climbed down the ladder as he called for Yorda, waving his hand towards him. The pale princess began to slowly climb down as she reached the ground. Taking Ico's hand, the group traversed through the large bridge from the West Arena until they reached a ladder.

"I don't believe we have climbed up here. Let us see if anything new is here." Clank said. Ico nodded as he started to climb up the ladder, Ratchet and then Yorda following behind him. Upon reaching the top, Ico saw a door that was open.

"Hey, let's go through here!"

The horned boy entered the room as Ratchet and Yorda followed him.

* * *

In the new room, Ico saw a lever by his side. Upon pulling it down, the last bridge that was still raised up finally raised down, allowing the group access.

"Ha ha! Nothing's going to stop us now!" Ratchet exclaimed. "C'mon, we're close to our goal!"

Returning back outside, Ico, Ratchet, and Yorda climbed down the ladder and entered through the entrance by the ladder.

Crossing the bridge, the group made their way by the next entrance. Going around, Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda went down the slope and to the next entrance. However, Clank had piped up from Ratchet's back, reaching into his ear.

"Ratchet? I know we're close to reaching the main gates, but… I can't help but wonder… we're close to helping Ico and Yorda escape the castle, but what about ourselves? We're still stranded on here with no forms of communications. More or less, I forgot where our ship even crash landed." The robot said. Ratchet looked behind him and smirked.

"Don't worry about it Clank, our top priority now is to help Ico and Yorda. Then we'll worry about ourselves."

Clank looked at Ratchet. He always was the type of person to put other's issues before his, but in this case, it seems like Ratchet would even die just for the horned boy and the pale princess.

"Do Ico and Yorda matter to you that much?" he asked.

"Yeah, they've had it worse than me. I think it's time they get their freedom like I got mine."

Clank nodded. "I agree Ratchet. We've helped so many people in our time in Solana and Bogon, helping these two won't prove to be a challenge."

Ratchet had been so engaged with his conversation with Clank that he didn't even realize that they were finally at the main gate. Ratchet softly gasped as he saw the large glowing door.

"Wait, we shouldn't go yet. We should rest up for our journey." The lombax said.

"You're right. Let us take a rest on the couch."

Walking to the stone couch just a few feet away, Ratchet, Ico, and Yorda took a hefty rest as Clank put himself into sleep mode.

* * *

An hour later, the group finally woke up from their rest, and decided it was finally time. With pounding hearts, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda walked up to the main gate. Ico looked up at it and awed at the sight. Ratchet and Clank looked up at the gate as well.

"Well, this is it, Clank. We're finally free from this place at last." Ratchet said.

"I agree. It's about time we should return home." Clank replied.

Just as the three started to admire the door, a strange glow came from the door as all of a sudden, a burst of electricity sent Ico, Ratchet, and Clank knocked back away. They raised their torso's up and saw the terrifying sight; Yorda was absorbing all of the electricity coming from the door. The gate began to slowly open its doors as Yorda's hair began turning white.

At last, when the gate was open to the point where the four could pass, Yorda dropped to the ground and grunted. Ico ran up to her and crouched by her side.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Yorda took a few breaths before looking at Ico.

"Omotecsus…" **(** **1)** she replied, making it the first time Ratchet and Clank heard her voice.

"I didn't think she could talk." Ratchet said.

"Neither could I." Clank replied. The two friends walked up to Ico and Yorda as a strange rumbling was heard and felt. They looked straight ahead of them and saw that the stone bridge that Ratchet and Clank had passed through when they first arrived began to connect to the other side. Ratchet saw that in only a few minutes, he, along with Clank, Yorda, and Ico were finally free from the Queen.

"It's time…" he said. The lombax then noticed that there were a plethora of idol doors on the other side that wasn't there previously, and hoped that Yorda could handle it. However, the pale princess seemed even more pale and weaker, most likely the door drained her of her energy.

"I'm just hoping we can make it…" Ratchet thought. Ico took Yorda's hand as Ratchet and Clank ran, Ico following behind her with Yorda. However, Yorda began to limp and then fall to the ground, causing Ico to turn around.

"Ratchet! Clank! Yorda's weak!" he yelled. The two returned back to the prisoners of the castle.

"Yorda… you're not OK…" Ratchet said. "Listen, we're going to get you across. I know you're weak, but you have to do it, it's our only chance to escape from the queen."

Yorda looked up at Ratchet before Ico helped her back up on her feet.

"It's not safe for Yorda to continue running. It seems we have no choice but to walk." Clank stated.

"Dang it… I hope we're able to escape before the queen notices." The lombax said. The group began to walk down the steps and finally, on the bridge they had been working so hard to get to. In just a few minutes, Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda could finally be free.

However, fate had a different destiny in mind. Reaching the half-way point, Ratchet, Ico, Clank, and Yorda were unaware that the pillars began to omit electricity, shooting it at Yorda. Ico was flung forward as Yorda could no longer advance. Ratchet and Clank turned around and saw the electricity holding Yorda in place.

"T-The queen… she knows we are trying to escape…" the robot said.

"No! We aren't gunna let her get away with this! We're this close to the end!"

The impact of the electricity was too great for Yorda, as she soon collapsed to the ground. As Ratchet, Clank, and Ico were about to reach to her, the bridge began to rumble. Ico yelped as the fur on Ratchet's neck began to rise up. Ico lost his balance from the rumbling and fell over, almost falling off the bridge had he not grasped on the edge. Ratchet soon followed, grabbing Clank tightly.

"Hold on buddy! You too Ico!" he yelled.

He then suddenly felt the bridge retracting, knowing full well the queen was the reason for this. Attempting to get himself back up on the bridge, Ratchet threw Clank on the bridge as he and Ico finally got on the bridge with a burst of strength.

"We only have one shot at this!" Ratchet yelled. Ico jumped to the other side as Yorda surprisingly took his hand, the mace soon falling below into the sea. Ratchet and Clank however, missed their jump and almost fell, but Ico grabbed his hand at the last second. Holding his Omniwrench under his armpit, Ratchet held onto Ico's hand as Clank hung on his foot.

"I-Ico! Don't let go!" Ratchet exclaimed. He looked below into the sea and cringed, knowing full well that death was close to him.

Despite her weak state, Yorda had tried her best to pull Ico up. She grunted as her pale face began to slightly gain color. Ico's face was full of fear as he tried to get a way for the pale princess to pull both him and Ratchet. Yorda was trying her best to pull up the three, moving closer to the edge as her grunts became louder.

Unbeknownst to Yorda however, a large dark shadow was looming over the bridge, covering it in pitch black shadow. Yorda could feel a large chill coming closer to her, knowing full well who it was. With all her strength, she tried one last time to pull up Ico, Ratchet, and Clank, but to no avail, as the black shadow soon reached her fingertips. Her feet began to get cold until they felt like they had been turned into stone.

Even below the bridge, Ico and Ratchet could feel the chill.

"W-What's that?" shivered Ratchet.

From above the bridge, the shadow soon hit Yorda's legs as she began to whimper. As it reached her waist, the chill became even cooler as Ratchet and Ico could swear they felt another person there.

And in that moment, a black veil of shadow flew right next to Yorda, with a pale face visible within it. Ratchet and Ico gasped, not only was she the same person that Ico had encountered when he and Yorda first arrived at the main gate, but she was also the same woman Ratchet had encountered in his dreams.

It was none other than the Queen.

As the shadow reached Yorda's arm, Ratchet began to shake his head heavily.

"Y-Y-Yorda! N-No! No! Don't let go!" he yelled. However, it was too late, the shadow had consumed Yorda's hand as she let go. Ratchet, Ico, and Clank had faces of terror on their faces as they screamed, falling down into the sea. Yorda had no choice but to watch her friends die. Just as the shadow was about to fully consume her, Yorda's last words were formed.

"Nono…mori…" **(2)**

As the girl was soon consumed by darkness from her mother, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico saw that the sea was diameters away from them. Ratchet shut his eyes tightly, knowing that in just a few seconds, his life would end.

The three hit the water, and nothing else emerged from it…

* * *

 **(AN 2: Translations -**

 **(1) - A little more...**

 **(2) - Thank you...)**


	12. Chapter 12

**(AN: Oh no! It seems things have gotten worse for our heroes. With Yorda now gone, it only seems that the chances for Ratchet, Clank, Ico, and Yorda's escape from the castle are growing slimmer and slimmer. Let's hope our heroes can solve the brain-teasing puzzles that lie before them...**

 **And if you want to know, this is the second to last chapter! Next chapter will be it!)**

 ** _(Not gunna put anything worthwhile here since I gurantee this joke has gotten old :P)_**

* * *

Lighting illuminated the dark grey sky above the Castle in the Mist as heavy rain fell down hard, swaying left and right from the gusts of wind. By the bottom structures of the castle, a set of cages hanging on ropes swayed from the wind. On top of one of these cages, a passed out Ratchet, Clank, and Ico lay.

"N-Nng…" moaned Ratchet. He felt the rain splash down on his fur opened his eyes, slowly getting up as he shook himself.

"I'm… alive? I… made it?" The lombax asked himself. Ratchet looked around the area he was in and saw Clank, his Omniwrench, and Ico by his side.

"Clank, Ico! Wake up!" he exclaimed. The robot's bright lime green eyes shot open as Ico woke up. He got himself up as he groaned.

"Where… where are we?" The horned boy asked. The three looked above them and saw the towering castle above them.

"We're… below the castle…" Clank stated. "How did we end up here?"

"I… I don't know…"

Suddenly, Ratchet saw that someone was missing from their group: Yorda.

"Wait! Where's Yorda?!"

And then, images flashed through the lombax's mind of the queen consuming Yorda in darkness, making it the reason she let go and the reason why they're below the castle. Ratchet began to growl heavily.

"The queen… is going… to pay!"

"Ratchet? Are… you OK?" Ico asked, intimidated at the angered Ratchet.

"Don't you get it? The queen took Yorda! We don't even want to know what would happen to her now that she's got her!"

In Ico's mind, a flashback to when him and Yorda first arrived at the main gate played in his head. Ico gasped and placed his hands on Ratchet's shoulders.

"Ratchet! We must hurry!"

"I agree, but… you seem scared. Do you know something?"

"I do! When me and Yorda first arrived at the main gate, we encountered the queen. She said that "she lived in a different world then me". I think this means something!"

"A different world than you…" Clank muttered. "This is not a good sign if she has said this. I agree with you two, we must hurry."

The robot jumped onto Ratchet's back as the lombax and horned boy looked at the set of cages swaying.

"So… how do we get across? They look far away." Ico said.

"You're right… jumping could lead to us getting killed… I have an idea."

* * *

Ratchet's plan was enacted: have Ico climb on his back and Clank on Ico's back.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Ico asked.

"I'm fine. I'm a strong guy if I do say so myself. Now, we're going to glide to the next sets of cages. Just don't look down and get scared."

Crouching down, Ratchet jumped into the air as Clank activated his Thruster Pack. Gliding, Ratchet maneuvered himself to the next cage. Then the next cage and the proceeding cages after that. He found it surprising that Ico remained calm during the entire time, taking his advice of not looking down.

After gliding off of the last cage, Ratchet landed on the entrance of a cavern. Ico slid off his back as Clank got back on Ratchet's back.

"I'm fine from here. Let's do this together." Ico said. Ratchet nodded in agreement.

"Couldn't have worded it any better." The lombax said.

Heading forward into the cave, Ico shivered as it soon became colder and colder.

"R-Ratchet… it's so cold…" he muttered. While Ratchet couldn't feel it due to his fur, he patted Ico's back.

"Don't worry, we'll try to find a place to warm up." he said.

Heading to the right, Ico and Ratchet passed by a small stream with a gate in the middle before entering another dark cavern.

* * *

Upon reaching the other side of the entrance, Ico and Ratchet saw various structures in front of them, along with a waterwheel being moved by a flowing waterfall above it.

"That must be where we have to go." Ico said.

"Yup, we have to work together if we wanna save Yorda, Ico." Ratchet replied.

"I know, let's go."

Heading straight, Ico pulled down a lever by the gate. Ahead from where the trio was, a chain began to lower nearer and nearer to the water.

"Now… how are we going to get up there…? It still seems like we can't jump from the water, the chain is still too high for that…" said Ratchet. To Ico's right, he saw a crate.

"We'll use this!" he exclaimed. He pulled the crate back and pushed it into the water. Ico noticed that on the other side, a ladder was present, but was cut off.

"Hm, we found a way to that ladder over there!" he exclaimed.

"Wow, didn't even notice that. Nice job." Ratchet complimented. "Alright, on the count of three, we're going to jump down into the water. Now you might need to prepare yourself since I bet the water is cold as hell."

"Don't worry, I'll be OK." replied Ico.

"Good… now… one… two… three!"

Ratchet and Ico jumped down into the water, coming up back to the surface. Ico began to cough as the chill of the water seeped into Ratchet's bones.

"So, let's take this crate to the other side. Maybe we can get outta this place." The lombax said.

Grabbing onto the side of the crate, Ratchet and the horned boy swam to the other side, placing the crate right under the broken stairs. The two got on top of the crate and climbed the ladder. Upon reaching the top, the only thing of value there was a lever on the wall. Ico pulled on it as the gate near them lowered, allowing Ico and Ratchet access.

"Awh man… we really have to go back into the water huh?" Ratchet asked, shaking. Ico nodded his head as he climbed down the ladder, Ratchet following suite. The two got back into the water and saw the lever they pulled down earlier, knowing it would be smart to place the crate under it.

After placing the crate under the chain, Ico and Ratchet both got on the box. The water from the waterfall behind them sprayed on them as they looked up.

"I'll go first. It'll make things safe-"

"No. Let's go together. If we're going to save Yorda and beat the queen, we need to work together."

Ratchet looked at Ico before nodding. "Yeah, I agree. Alright, let's do this together then."

The two climbed on top of the chain as they descended up. Reaching the top, the horned boy and the lombax saw a structure and pushed it as far as they could. As the structure was put into place, many wheels began to turn. Ratchet heard the noise.

"I think we did something down below. C'mon!" he said. Ratchet descended down the chain and followed the sound, Ico right behind him. He began to swim to the left and climbed back up to the surface upon making contact with it. As he moved forward, Ratchet saw the source of the sound: a spinning wheel with various spokes poking out of it moved clockwise.

Ratchet walked forward and climbed up on one of them, Ico following. He found it exhilarating for a short while before falling down to the top. The two walked forward and saw a ledge. Climbing on it, they placed their hands on the pipe near them and moved to the right.

Reaching at the end, the two saw a pipe below them and dropped down to the next pipe. Moving to the right as before, the two reached the end and dropped down to the ground with a "clunk" sound. Ratchet and Ico moved forward, crossing along a narrow pipe before reaching the other side. The two climbed up on a pipe, moving against the metal cylinder and dropping onto the platform below them where the pipe ended.

Seeing another pipe that went up straight, Ratchet and Ico climbed up it to the top, seeing a chain behind them.

"I see what we have to do. We have to jump off this pipe and get on the chain. Though it looks dangerous if we both went at the same time... How about I do this first? I think I'll have an easier time with Clank." Ratchet said. He jumped off the pipe and with Clank activating the Thruster Pack, glided to the chain. The lombax saw another chain in front of him as he began to swing, launching himself to the next chain.

"You can come down now! I'll meet you on the other side!" he called out. Ico jumped off the pipe as he barely got on the chain, almost falling to his death. The horned boy did exactly what Ratchet did, swinging on the two chains before reaching where Ratchet was.

"That was close. Let's keep going." he said. Seeing an opening in the wall with another wheel moving, Ratchet and Ico passed through it. Another wheel spinning with spokes poking out rotated clockwise. The two jumped on different spokes as they descended up.

Upon reaching the platform below them, Ratchet and Ico dropped down and ran straight on the walkway. A rotating wheel sat spinning near the walkway as Ico and Ratchet jumped forward, climbing up from the edge and jumping onto the next wheel.

"We have to pass this barrel, but it's rotating. Be careful, Ico." Ratchet said as the two ran forward. Ico almost collapsed, but was able to get back up and get to the other side. The two went to the left and went down the walkway, reaching the edge. To their left, a cave sat. Ratchet sighed in relief.

"That should be it for this room… Thank the heavens, this room was tricky…"

* * *

Entering into the cave, the atmosphere of water disappeared as the gusts of wind and thunder from outside were heard. Going straight, Ratchet and Ico saw water from a waterfall above them flowing down as the dark sky was seen, lighting flashing left and right. The lombax felt Clank softly shake.

"Don't worry, Clank. The lightning's not going to get you." he soothingly said.

"I h-hope so…" responded the robot.

Going up the narrow ledge, there was a space where Ico and Ratchet could climb down. The two went below as they saw another ledge in front of them. Ico took a running start and jumped as Clank activated the Thruster Pack, allowing Ratchet passage. Reaching the end of the ledge, there was another ledge just a few inches above them.

Ratchet and Ico jumped up and hanged onto the ledge as they moved to the other side. Reaching the end, the two climbed down to the ledge below and moved to the right.

Going up and down ledges were what the two did for several minutes before finally reaching the end, landing on a set of two rusted pipes. Ico took several deep breaths as he put his hands on his legs.

"Tired?" Ratchet asked.

"Y-Yeah…" responded Ico.

"I don't blame you. Let's sit down and take a small break for now."

Ratchet and Ico sat down on the pipe as they waited for their energy to recuperate.


	13. Chapter 13 (Finale)

**(AN: Well, here it is, the epic finale to Lost Souls. I have been proudly working on this fic since October, and have become excited at the work I have produced in the past few months.**

 **I wish to give all my thanks now, but I'm sure you want to read how our story ends for Ico, Yorda, Ratchet, and Clank. So I'll do just that and wait until the end to give my thanks.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the last Chapter (the longest so far), and I hope you've enjoyed Lost Souls overall.**

 **One last thing to note: There will be "Mood Music" intervals. In that moment, go on like, Youtube to search up the song listed in the mood music. It helps with the mood :P)**

 ** _And hey, for old times sake? Why not? For one last time..._  
**

 ** _Ratchet and Clank and ICO are owned by Sony Computer Entertainment_**

* * *

"Ico, you feeling fine now?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. I'm feeling better."

"Then let's head out."

Ico and Ratchet got up from the floor as they looked straight ahead. They knew the last stretch before the queen was coming up, and the horned boy and the lombax knew to prepare hard.

Heading straight, the two went through a hole in the wall as they saw a new room, which was very massive, and extended up quite far.

"Whoa…" Ratchet said. "This is gunna be hard to figure out where to go."

Ratchet's word wasn't true yet, as by the end of the pipes, a chain sat by the left. Ico climbed down on the chain as Ratchet looked back at him, following right behind him. The two swinged on the chain before jumping to the ledge on the other side. Ico was about to head towards the right, before Ratchet stopped him.

"Ico, we don't have time to do this. Who knows what the queen is doing with Yorda." he said.

"What are you talking about, Ratchet?" Ico replied.

Ratchet gave a grin. "We're taking a shortcut."

Ico didn't understand what he meant until he saw Ratchet looking down. Ico suddenly got what he meant.

"W-Wait! Ratchet, we can't!-"

Ico was interrupted as Ratchet grabbed him by the armpits and jumped down. Ico almost screamed before he heard Ratchet yell: "NOW, CLANK!"

Clank activated the Thruster Pack, causing the trio to slowly descend to the lowest floor. Upon reaching ground, Ratchet shot his arms in the air.

"Woo! Wasn't that cool or what?" he exclaimed.

"I… I thought I was going to die!" Ico yelled.

"Don't worry, Ico. I deal with scarier stuff a lot. Besides, I wasn't going to kill us."

"Well… Okay…"

Looking behind them, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico saw a pair of idol statues behind them.

"Idol statues? Why are they here?" Ratchet asked.

"And how will we pass them without Yorda?" Clank asked as well. Ico looked at the two statues before looking around.

 _"This room… it feels like I've been here before."_ Ico thought. He then noticed a cavern leading out of the room.

"Ratchet, Clank, let's go through there." he said, pointing towards the location. Ratchet and Clank followed right behind Ico.

* * *

Upon hearing the waves of the sea, and the familiar rock cavern, Ico gasped as he suddenly remembered everything. His boat ride along with the various people from Toksa Village, one of the men grabbing the sword before-

"That's it!" The horned boy exclaimed. Ratchet and Clank looked at Ico.

"What's it?" Ratchet asked.

"This room, I've been here before. When the people of my village took me to the castle, they came here first. I remember them taking a sword, and that sword is what opened the idol statues in the room we were just in."

"Sword? Where was it at?" Clank asked.

"I remember them grabbing it from over there."

Ico pointed to a stone altar far into the distance. Taking his word, the trio decided to go there. Passing by a boat (which Ico had mentioned was the boat he came by), and following up the stone path, they finally reached the altar. A glowing sword lay on the altar as Ico picked it up, looking at the lights illuminating from it.

"Whoa… that's sweet." Ratchet complimented. All of a sudden, some of the electricity generating from the sword started to hit the lombax's Omniwrench. Ratchet was almost caught off guard, had it not been that he felt no pain, but instead, his hand felt tingly. He looked at his weapon, which had also started to glow and generate electricity from it.

"Ratchet, your Omniwrench! When that sword came close to it, your weapon seems to have absorbed some of its power." Clank explained.

"But how? It can't do that on its own." Ratchet replied.

"Hm… my theory is going to sound absurd, but I believe it is yours and Ico's bond."

"Bond?" Ico asked.

"Yes. From how you two have worked together, your weapons have fused to have the same power. It recognized your bond, and knew that you would be working together in the end."

"Bond…" Ico said to himself. "We have a strong bond, don't we, Ratchet?"

"Yup, ya betcha, Ico! Now, we can finally open those idol statues and give the queen a piece of her mind!"

The three left the altar and headed down.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Queen watched Ratchet, Clank, and Ico through her mind. She grew angrier as she saw the sword in Ico's hand.

"So, those three refuse to die. No worries, I shall let my army take care of this."

The Queen began to unleash a set of shadow creatures from the sarcophagi all throughout the room.

"This is getting interesting and interesting, isn't it… dear?"

The Queen looked at Yorda, who was nothing but stone.

"We'll see how well your friends fare before they must face me."

The Queen vanished out of the room as the shadow creatures circled around the stone Yorda.

* * *

Back with Ratchet, Clank, and Ico, the horned boy and the lombax stared at the idol statues in front of them.

"Ready, Ico?" Ratchet asked.

"Ready."

The two held out their weapons as the same burst of electricity that Yorda would emit, came out of the sword and the Omniwrench. The idol statues lit up as they moved out of the way. Ratchet felt chills up his spine.

"Are we getting close?" he asked.

"I believe so. They took me up here next."

Going inside, a large circular room was present with a lever by the side. Ico pulled the lever as various cranks and mechanics worked underneath the three. The floor began to rise up and take Ratchet, Clank, and Ico to the top level.

* * *

Upon reaching the top, the elevator stopped as by the entrance, idol statues blocked the way out. Ratchet, Clank, and Ico walked towards the statues, holding out their weapons as the statues lit up and opened from behind.

"Alright, now where are we?" Ratchet asked.

"This is the room I was taken to be sacrificed." Ico replied.

"Wait, really?"

"Yes."

Ico walked forward and climbed the stairs to the left as Ratchet and Clank followed after him. They saw the horned boy staring at a sarcophagus.

"I was imprisoned here before an earthquake caused me to escape." he explained. "It's hard to believe it's been that long ago."

"Glad to be out of that huh?" Ratchet asked.

"Yes. It was dreadful, and not to mention, cramped. I don't know why they would sacrifice kids in there."

Suddenly, Clank gasped. "Ratchet, Ico, look!" he exclaimed, pointing to an area that was above where the three were. Ratchet and Ico gasped as they saw a large amount of shadow creatures dancing around something.

"Oh no, it's only normal the Queen would have them here. Prepare yourself Ico, this is gunna be a long fight." Ratchet said. However, Ico noticed there was something off about the shadow creatures.

 _"They don't look like the ones we've faced… they look like… me…"_ The horned boy thought. The three moved forward as the creatures noticed the trio.

 **(Mood Music ~ Shadow - ICO)**

They began to come towards Ratchet and Ico. The two swung their weapons as they were killed in just one hit. More and more of them began to come towards them.

"This is getting too much! Alright, I'll take the left, Ico, you take the right!" Ratchet yelled.

"I understand."

Moving to their locations, Ratchet swung his Omniwrench at the shadow creatures who came towards him. However, something was lingering in his mind.

 _"I don't get it… why aren't they attacking like the other shadow creatures? Are they different?"_ Ratchet thought. Just by him however, one of the stone sarcophagi began to light up like the idol statues.

"Huh?"

Despite his killing of a few more shadow creatures, that sight mystified Ratchet. He also took note that some of the creatures looked different.

 _"As if they look like… Ico…"_

And suddenly, just as he swung at the next shadow creature, it suddenly hit Ratchet as to who he and Ico were fighting.

They were fighting the spirits of the sacrificed children.

Ratchet felt a chill go up his spine as he gave a soft prayer for the departed children.

"Ratchet? Are you OK? You look a bit pale." Clank asked.

"Clank… I'm fighting kids… the spirits of the sacrificed children that Ico mentioned. I don't think I'll sleep well knowing that…"

The robot looked around at the glowing sarcophagi, a new one lighting up at times.

"Don't worry, Ratchet. You aren't killing them… I believe… you're putting them to rest."

"Rest?"

"Yes… these souls were controlled by the Queen. You and Ico are freeing them from her clutches."

 _"Freeing…"_

"Clank… you're right… we're freeing them…"

As two shadow creatures came towards the lombax, he attacked with his Omniwrench with new found confidence.

Meanwhile, Ico was on the balcony, getting rid of the last few of the shadow creatures. Only one sarcophagus remained, and Ico saw it on the ground below.

He jumped off the balcony and landed perfectly on the ground, attacking the last shadow creature. Ratchet and Clank met up with Ico as by the area where the shadow creatures first were, a rumbling could be felt.

 **(/End Mood Music)**

"Well, where else is there to go? Looks like we're following the source of that." Ratchet said. The trio went up the stairs and to the base resting yet another path of stairs. However, Clank gasped as he saw who was in the middle.

"Oh… oh dear… is that…"

Ratchet and Ico got a closer look at the sitting girl who was turned into stone, a blank expression on her face.

"It is guys… it's Yorda…" Ratchet said. Ico looked down at the floor as Clank held his hands together, sorrow in his bright green eyes.

"It's awful…" The robot said.

"Don't worry, Clank. We will avenge Yorda." Ico said. He looked at the stairs, which led to a floor with yet another flight of stairs, which finally led to an entrance in the middle, blocked by idol statues.

Ratchet narrowed his eyes. "It's the end… Clank, buddy… Ico… are you guys ready?"

Clank nodded his head. "More than I've ever been Ratchet."

"Yes, I am." Ico replied.

The trio walked passed Yorda's statue as they headed up the two sets of stairs, standing in front of the idol statues. Ratchet and Ico held out their weapons as the last set of idol statues opened. The three went into the entrance and got on an elevator, bringing them up to a new room.

* * *

"I've never been here…" Ico said.

The trio was currently in a very cold room, cold enough to the point where even Ratchet could feel the chill. Ico shivered and rubbed his arms as Ratchet looked around the room, the only distinct thing in front of him were two statues and a large throne in the middle.

"And if there's a throne… this must be the Queen's throne…"

Ratchet, Clank, and Ico went straight ahead to the throne. The three looked around near it, got on top of it, and yet, found no sign of the Queen.

"Where is she?" Ico asked.

"I dunno, but I think we intimidated her. That's good, that'll teach her not to mess with us." Ratchet replied. "C'mon, there's nothing here. Maybe she's in another part of the castle."

Just as the trio was about to leave however, a voice rang out. A voice that made the hairs on Ratchet and Ico's neck rise up. A voice that the two would never forget from the encounters they've had.

 _"Wait."_

Ratchet, Clank, and Ico turned around behind them as they saw a veil of black sitting on the throne. All of a sudden, a familiar pale white face flashed, revealing herself.

It was the Queen.

Ico and Ratchet grasped their weapons tightly as the lombax felt his rage pending up. The three slowly walked up to the Queen.

 **(Mood Music ~ Queen - ICO)**

"Put your weapons down. I do not intend to hurt you." she said. Ico and Ratchet slowly lowered their weapons, but didn't let go.

"What did you do to her?" Ico asked.

"That's right! Start talking!" Ratchet yelled.

"Silence you two. You're all too late." The Queen said. "You must understand, my body has become too old, and won't last much longer. But… Yorda is going to grant me the power to be resurrected."

"How? How is she going to do that?!" Clank asked.

"Because, to be my spiritual successor is the fulfillment of her destiny! And when the next time her body wakes, Yorda will be no more."

"No more? So you're going to use your own daughter to keep on living? You're crazy! I bet you don't even care about Yorda!" Ratchet yelled.

"Silence, lombax! I only care about what's best for her! And you three have been getting in the way of her fulfilling her destiny."

The Queen stared deep into Ratchet and Ico's eyes.

"Now… lombax and sacrifice… put down your weapons and leave this castle. I'll even let you take a boat as a part of my generosity. After all… that is what she would want you to do."

Ratchet and Ico looked at the ground. Was this really what Yorda wanted? To let them escape, but have the Queen consume her life for her own good?

"No… it isn't… that's not what she would want us to do." Ratchet said. "She would want us… she would want us…"

And with a few deep breaths, Ratchet yelled out: "SHE WOULD WANT US TO KILL YOU!"

Ratchet held out his Omniwrench and looked at Ico. "ICO! NOW!"

The two yelled out as they ran towards the Queen. However, before they could hit the Queen, she let out a burst of electricity which sent Ratchet, Clank, and Ico flying back. Ratchet and Ico yelped as along with Clank, they tumbled to the ground at the back of the throne room. The sword and Ratchet's Omniwrench slashed into the ground near them, almost hitting the two.

 **(/End Mood Music)**

Ratchet, Clank, and Ico got up as they all took deep breaths. Ratchet felt numerous scratches on his body as the side of Ico's head hurt immensely. Ratchet then gasped.

"I-Ico… your… your horn…"

The lombax picked up the severed right horn as fresh blood got on his gloves. He could see pain and agony in Ico's eyes as he stared at the Queen, blood pouring down the right side of his face.

"You three are nothing but nuisances. Do you all wish to die that much?" The Queen asked as she got off her throne. The three struggled to get up as Ratchet placed Clank on his back.

"You're safer here, buddy." Ratchet whispered. Staring into the Queen's eyes, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico knew the final battle against the Queen was ready to begin.

 **(Mood Music ~ Entity - ICO)**

Grabbing the sword and the Omniwrench, Ico and Ratchet advanced forwards towards the Queen. As they did, the Queen yelled out and shot out a large field of darkness. Just as it started heading towards the horned boy and the lombax, they put their weapons up as the energy from their weapons blocked the attack.

"I didn't know these were that powerful!" Ratchet exclaimed.

"It seems so. Now, let us get the Queen and avenge Yorda!" Ico said.

"Got it!"

Upon reaching the Queen, the two could see her surrounded by a barrier. Hitting it with their weapons, the Queen gasped as Ico's sword and Ratchet's Omniwrench flew out of their hands from the impact. Running away from the Queen, the two could hear her yell out.

"Ratchet! Ico! Get behind the left statue!" Clank yelled from behind Ratchet's back. Ratchet and Ico followed Clank's advice and got behind the statue. The Queen's blast of darkness came through, and while the two could feel the chill, it didn't affect them in any way.

"We're alive?" Ratchet asked. As he heard the Queen send out another attack, he could see the statue glowing on the floor.

"The statue! It's protecting us!" Ico exclaimed.

"Now where's our weapons…"

Ratchet examined the room until he saw the sword and his Omniwrench on the other side of the room, stuck into the ground.

"Alright, Ico. On the count of three once the Queen finishes her attack, follow me. We're going to get our weapons."

"Will this work?" Ico asked.

"Sure it will. Now, on the count of three… one… two…"

Upon hearing the Queen make her next attack, Ratchet knew it was time.

"Three!"

The two ran from behind the statue as they headed to the other side of the room. Ratchet and Ico grabbed their weapons as the Queen shot out another beam of darkness. The two blocked it as they headed up the steps and swung at the Queen's barrier. With their weapons flung away, the two retreated to the idol statue on the right.

"Where are they now?" Ico asked. Ratchet saw them on the other side.

"Other side. Let's repeat what we did."

Doing the same plan as before, Ratchet and Ico were successfully able to grab their weapons and block the Queen's attack. Much like the past two times, Ratchet and Ico swung their weapons at the barrier; Queen gasps as their weapons are flung back, and finally, retreating back to the idol statue.

"This is going easier than I thought it was going to." Ratchet said. They saw their weapons closer to them, as it was on the left side of the steps leading to the throne.

"Once the Queen's finished with her next attack, let's bolt ass and grab them."

Ico nodded as they waited for the Queen's attack to be finished. They ran hastily to the stairs and grabbed their weapons, but not before having to block the beam of darkness.

"Geez, she's gunna keep doing this, huh?" Ratchet said. The two ran towards the barrier and just before the Queen could attack yet again, Ratchet and Ico hit the barrier, and their weapons were flung back as usual. As they retreated back to the idol statue, Ratchet and Ico saw their weapons stuck to the left wall.

"Remember; wait until the Queen's done. Alright?" Ratchet asked.

"Yes." replied Ico. As the Queen finished with her attack, the two ran to the wall and pulled their weapons out of it. They turned around and blocked another beam of darkness. Running up to the Queen, the two hit the barrier for the fourth and final time, as the Queen's barrier dissipated.

"No! I will not let you succeed, even if my barrier is gone!" The Queen yelled. The two quickly ran behind the idol statue as the Queen's attacks became more rampant.

"What are we going to do? Our weapons aren't here…" Ico said. Ratchet looked at the back of the room and saw the two weapons stuck in the ground.

"Ico… I need you to, along with me, pull back this idol statue. It's the only way we'll get across and get our weapons."

Ico nodded as the horned boy and lombax pulled back the idol statue. Waiting for their opportunity, Ratchet looked at Ico.

"Ico… I need you to, when I say go, run as fast as you can. Run like you've never run before."

"Why?"

"It's the only way we'll reach our weapons."

Standing behind the idol statue, and feeling the Queen done with her current attack, Ico and Ratchet ran as fast as they could to their weapons as the Queen set out another attack just as they did. Ratchet looked behind him as he felt the wave of darkness advancing faster and faster towards him.

"We won't make it!" Ico yelled.

"Yes we will!" Ratchet replied. Just before the wave could hit Ico and Ratchet, the two grabbed their weapons and blocked the attack.

"Just barely!"

Ico and Ratchet ran forwards as fast as they could, blocking a few more attacks. The Queen's face was full of fright as the horned boy and the lombax advanced towards her, readying their weapon.

"THIS IS THE LAST ONE!" Ratchet yelled. He rose up his Omniwrench while Ico raised up his sword as they made the final attack. Ico stabbed the sword into the Queen's heart as Ratchet attacked her stomach.

 **(/End Mood Music)**

The Queen's gasp was echoed all across the room as she felt a dark, ink like blood come out from her. Ico and Ratchet breathed in an out as they looked into the Queen's dark eyes, face full of rage.

"Yorda… will never be able to escape this castle…" said the Queen in her last breaths. "Even if you two… take my life…"

As Ico saw her slowly close her eyes, he pulled out his sword from the Queen's heart. However, it was a terrible mistake, because as the Queen disappeared, she sent out one last strong bust of dark energy. Ico tried to hold onto his sword while Ratchet placed his hands on Ico's arms, but the burst of energy was just too much.

Ico and Ratchet were flung all the way to the wall on the right side of the room as their backs hit the wall. Clank came off of Ratchet's back as the impact was enough to shut his power off as Ico and Ratchet hit the floor with an "Oof!" The two passed out from the impact as Ico's left horn fell to the ground, and blood was pouring out from where his left horn was.

As the three laid on the ground, the castle began to rumble as dust from the ceiling came down. With the Queen's death, the castle was sure to fall with her too.

* * *

However… all was not as it seemed. Back in the room where Yorda was, the stone princess had continued to stay like she was.

That was, until the various sarcophagi started to glow. And then, from all fifty one sarcophagi, electricity shot out from each and every one, hitting Yorda. For a few seconds, nothing happened until some of the stone started to crack, and eventually, burst open entirely.

Yorda raised herself up as she looked at her hand, and then her body. The princess was now completely dark, with black electricity emanating from her. She knew what had happened; the Queen succeeded in using her. But, it seemed that she only fused her dark frame with Yorda's.

And speaking of her mother...

Yorda looked up at the entrance to her mother's throne room, and an instinct in her gut told her to go. Yorda began to walk up the steps and to the throne room.

* * *

The trio was still passed out on the floor as chunks of rock started to fall from the walls and the ceiling, hitting the ground. Just as more and more started to fall down, Yorda climbed up the steps towards her mother's throne. She looked to her right and saw the passed out Ico, Ratchet, and Clank.

She walked up to them and crouched down towards Ico, feeling the area where his horns were now gone. She then looked at Ratchet, who had an open wound on his right ear.

Knowing what she must now do, she flipped over Ico as she picked up Ratchet's small body, placing it on Ico's. Yorda then picked up Clank and place him on Ratchet's furry chest. And finally, the princess herself picked up Ico and looked at the three living (well, two technically) beings. She then walked out of the throne room as her instincts told her where to go.

* * *

 **(Mood Music ~ Collape - ICO)**

All throughout the castle, the walls, ceilings, walkways, any part of a room began to crumble down. The bridges connecting two parts of the castle began to break and fall into the sea as the outside walls began to crumble as well. In the room with the broken bridge leading down, the floor collapsed as the bridge fell into the almost dark abyss.

And yet even with the destruction of the castle, Yorda still kept going, carrying Ico, Ratchet, and Clank at the same time as she began to go down the steps leading to the elevator. She turned around and watched as the Castle in the Mist; her home for years, was being destroyed more and more.

However, this didn't bother Yorda, as the destruction of the castle would lead to her freedom, and the end of the Queen's reign.

Going down the elevator, Yorda looked at the three she held. They looked calm, peaceful, like they were almost asleep. It was ironic to her that these three, the ones who had guided her through everything in the castle, would be the ones being saved by her

Upon reaching the dock, Yorda slowly walked towards the boat on the ground. More and more chunks of rock came out from the walls of the dock. She slowly placed Ico's body on the boat, moving Ratchet to another part of the boat, and Clank right next to the lombax.

Yorda placed her hands on the boat and moved it towards the sea. With a push, she watched as the boat started to move on its own.

 **(/End Mood Music)**

 **(Mood Music ~ You Were There -ICO)**

Watching the boat containing her friends move inch by inch, Yorda spoke one last time.

"Alluhuyas…" **(1)**

More and more of the ceiling began to crumble behind Yorda as she was ready to accept her fate; taking the Queen and the Castle in the Mist with her. She slowly turned around, and looked up.

As the boat left the cavern, a chunk of rock almost hit the boat as it slowly moved away from the castle.

 _"The island bathes in the sun's bright rays_

 _Distant hills wear a shroud of grey…_

 _A lonely breeze whispers in the trees_

 _Sole witness to history…"_

More and more of the castle began to fall into the sea. It soon came to a point where entire portions of the castle were coming apart. The back parts of the castle entirely came off, meeting its demise.

 _"Fleeting memories rise_

 _From the shadows of my mind…"_

As more and more rooms of the castle crumbled to the ground, the idol statues all began to light up. As if it was giving one last ray of hope before it too, would be destroyed.

 _"Sing nonomori… endless corridors…_

 _Say nonomori… hopeless warriors…_

 _You were there…_

 _You were there…"_

At last, the entire chunk of rock that the castle laid on began to crumble and fall into the sea. Slowly, the castle inched nearer and nearer towards the sea.

 _"Am I forever dreaming?_

 _How to define the way I'm feeling?"_

In the boat, Ratchet, Clank, and Ico still lay unconscious. They had no idea that it was Yorda who sent them free. Sooner or later, they would eventually wake up, and find freedom.

 _"You were there…_

 _Countless visions they haunt me in my sleep_

 _You were there…_

 _Though forgotten all promises we keep…"_

Ratchet's fur and Ico's mark breezed in the air as still, none of the three moved. However, the lombax felt something… different…

In his mind, he saw a dark room with a ray of light beaming above him in his mind. He saw a pale white hand reach out from the pool. Ratchet took the hand as he was brought up.

 _"Slaves to our destiny…_

 _I recall a melody…_

 _Sing nonomori, seasons lit with gold_

 _Say nonomori, legends yet untold…_

 _You were there…_

 _You were there…"_

None of the three knew how long it's been since they unknowingly escaped from the castle. It could have been years, and yet, the three continued to lay in the boat unconscious. The waves of the sea pushed back and forth on the boat as it continued to make its track forward.

 _"Happiness follows sorrow_

 _Only believing in tomorrow…"_

Only time could now tell where Ratchet, Clank, and Ico would eventually end up. While it seemed grim that they would stay on sea, the dark clouds moved away, shining the sunlight right on the boat.

 _"You were there…_

 _Countless visions they haunt me in my sleep_

 _You were there…_

 _Though forgotten all promises we keep…"_

Despite being unconscious, Ratchet could swear he could swear in his mind, he felt something. Something… unnatural… It felt like multiple people were grabbing him.

 _"The island bathes in the sun's bright rays_

 _Distant hills wear a shroud of grey…_

 _A lonely breeze whispers in the trees_

 _Sole key to this mystery…"_

And with that, it felt like the world was zooming out from Ratchet, Clank, and Ico in the boat.

 **(/End mood music)**

* * *

…

 ***BEEP***

…

 ***BEEP***

…

"Huh? Everybody! Ratchet's waking up!"

Ratchet groaned as his eyes fluttered opened. He saw himself in a bed, several IV tubes connected to him. He then became surprised and gasped when he saw who was in front of him.

"Sasha?! Al?! Skidd?! Helga?! Quark?! Skrunch?!" The lombax spurted. He shook and then rubbed his head. "Ugh… where am I?"

"Ratchet… you're on the Starship Phoenix…" Sasha said. Ratchet saw tears in the cazar's eyes as she hugged him tightly.

"O-Oh, Ratchet! We thought you d-died!" Sasha yelled. Ratchet looked confused.

"Died? What are you talking about, Sasha?"

Captain Quark walked up to Ratchet.

"Yes… Ratchet… It is with utmost heartfelt to say that when you had gone to that mission to find me the Virotanium I needed, we saw that you had somehow lost transmission with us. After a long search party, we found your ship in another galaxy, completely destroyed." The Captain explained.

"We were barely able to salvage you and Clank. Do you remember anything as to what happened?" Big Al asked. Ratchet looked down at the sheets as he remembered two faces: Ico and Yorda's.

"Guys! What happened to-!"

And then, Ratchet stopped himself. He suddenly realized that only he and the robot knew who Ico and Yorda were. Surely, he would have been considered insane if he had asked where two people who lived in another universe, and most likely, another timeline lived.

"What happened to what, dude?" Skidd asked.

"Nothing… it's nothing…" Ratchet replied.

"Vell of course it's nothing! Vhy do you bother to zay zomething if it only turns to be a nothing!" Helga yelled at Ratchet.

"Look, it's nothing, OK?!" I just… got a little sidetracked…"

"Perhaps it was the surgery. Yeah, in case you didn't know, when we found you, you had all these cuts and bruises everywhere. Not to mention, we had to stitch up your right ear because there was an open wound there. It doesn't help that it was starting to look like it was becoming infected. Whatever happened to you out there must have been painful." said Big Al.

"I see…"

Ratchet soon remembered the fight against the Queen. Every last movement he and Ico did which lead towards her ultimate demise.

"I apologize wholeheartedly, Ratchet. All of this is my fault, and I shall take responsibility like the hero of the galaxy that I am." Quark said.

 _"Pff… yeah… running away from the issue is what you'd do."_ Ratchet sarcastically thought.

"While I already have my material, I promise that never will I make you and Clank go on another dangerous mission like that ever again."

Upon hearing Clank's name, Ratchet looked up.

"Hey... where's Clank? Is he alright?" he asked.

"Clank? About him, we did have to fix him up because he seemed to have multiple damages, but other than that, he's perfectly fine." Big Al replied.

"Can… can you bring him here? I want to talk to him privately."

"We can do just that." Sasha said. Everyone began to leave the room as Al came back with Clank in his arms, shutting the room behind him. The robot stared at Ratchet with his green eyes.

"Hey there buddy…" Ratchet said.

"Hello, Ratchet. Are you feeling okay?" Clank asked.

"I guess. I mean, my head is pounding and my right ear hurts a lot. But I guess I'm doing fine."

"Well, that's good."

Clank looked up at the ceiling.

"It was quite surprising to see us home, isn't it? I don't know how we did, but… we did it, Ratchet."

However, Ratchet didn't respond. He hung his head as the robot realized the lombax was feeling… sorrowful, like he had just lost something.

"We did but… Clank… I'm worried…" he said.

"If I had to guess, this is about Ico and Yorda, correct?"

"Yeah… what happened to them? Did they escape the castle? Did they really find their freedom?"

Clank laid his hand on Ratchet's furry hand.

"Do not worry, Ratchet… I'm sure that wherever Ico and Yorda are right now…"

The two then looked out the window, watching the depths of space as the Starship Phoenix slowly moved.

"Well… I'm sure they're doing okay…"

* * *

On a sandy beach by a shore near a cliffside, the waters of the sea breezed slightly, the noise clear as crystal. This was what caused Ico to slowly wake up from inside the boat on the edge of shore. He slowly fluttered his eyes as he saw his hand, and the boat. Upon hearing the sea, he got up, and looked around.

"Where… am I?" Ico asked himself. "And… where's Ratchet and Clank? Where's Yorda?"

He attempted to call out as he usually does, but heard no reply. A sharp pain went through the side of Ico's head as he hissed. Upon touching where it hurt, Ico saw that his horns were gone, replaced with only dry blood.

"I… don't have horns anymore…"

As Ico got out of the boat, he suddenly missed his jump and yelped, landing face first into the sand. Getting back up, he wiped the sand off of his clothes and turned around, looking at the long beach ahead of him.

Ico ran forwards, looking around for any unusual sight. For about a minute, he didn't find anything as he continued to run. At least, until he saw a patch of watermelons to the right of him.

Feeling extremely hungry, Ico ran over to it and picked one up, dropping it to the ground. As it cracked and split open, Ico took all the pieces and consumed them very quickly, scarfing the entire thing down to its skin. It felt like the juices of the watermelon were the tastiest thing he ate in his life.

 _"I'm acting like one of the animals back in the village…"_ Ico thought.

Tearing his eyes away from the rest of the watermelons, the horned boy saw a strange thing in the distance. It was white almost, and it seemed to be lying on shore. Ico turned his head as he ran towards the figure.

As he got closer and closer to is, it looked almost like a person… a girl to be exact, wearing all white and her skin very pale. Ico gasped as he walked up to the girl, knowing immediately who she was. He stared at her for some time while she lay unconscious.

And then, some of the girl's fingers began to move as she slightly arched her back. The girl's eyes began to flutter as she awoke, turning her head and looking at Ico.

And then, upon seeing his face, she said only one thing.

"Se… e..." **(2)**

 ** _FIN_**

* * *

 **(Translations –**

 **1: Good bye…**

 **I'm going to be honest, for 2, I'm not actually sure what that means. I wanna say it means "Fin" like the text does in game, but I have the feeling it's something else. I dunno, it's up to your imagination.)**

* * *

 **(AN 2: Here's where all my thank you's go. I just want to say, THANK YOU, for reading all thirteen chapters of this. If you've followed along since Chapter 1, it means so much to me.**

 **Thank you Fumito Ueda, and to an extent, Team Ico, for giving us the brillianceness that is ICO.**

 **Thank you Insomniac Games, for giving us the amazing Ratchet and Clank series.**

 **Thank you Sony Computer Entertainment, for publishing these fantastic titles.**

 **And most importantly, thank you, the reader, for supporting this fic. As I said, this means so much to me, it gives me so much hope for my future of writing.**

 **Now for what I have planned next? Well, right now I'm currently writing a Vecpio AU over at the Sonic the Hedgehog archive! Plus, I have many other fics published as well.**

 **Finally, in case if you're wondering if I'll do something involving either Jak and Daxter or Sly Cooper and Shadow of the Colossus or The Last Guardian (at least, when it comes out)... well... we'll see. But for now, I hoped you enjoyed this fic.**

 **This is TheHunterPersian, signing off for now...)**


End file.
